Deception
by Chris000
Summary: Sometimes, there are enemies you don't want to make, and for a man who is just about to settle down, it makes problems. A man with everything to lose and everything to gain now must make a choice on whether he can continue his life, or lay down and die. The latest novel in the Mobius Chronicles crossover universe!
1. Chapter 1

DECEPTION

Chris Vennettilli

April 5th, 3239, 2201 hours

UN Security Council building

New York City

President Cleary and the vice-president's death could be ruled as nothing more than an unfortunate mishap. It had been all over the papers and news channels. The President's personal star-liner had experienced an 'unfortunate slipspace accident' in which it was transported into a dense asteroid field, no doubt caused by a faulty Shaw-Fujikawa Slipstream generator.

The resulting events were brutal. Iron-nickel asteroids bashed the ship, crushing it into a crumpled mess. Anybody who survived the initial crashing of the rocks would have died of either asphyxia slowly through the hundreds of tiny hull breaches, freezing as the electricity was killed or through starvation of being in trapped compartments. As the wreck had been found an approximate two weeks after it's noted disappearance. The inspection teams noted that it the asteroids made a clean job of it. Not a single person of the hundred aboard was alive.

The most powerful men in Human space were dead.

Since the President and Vice President of the United Nations Assembly were killed in the accident, the leader of the General Assembly was promoted to the post of President. This honor went to Head Delegate Troy Marshall.

President Marshall was sworn in a week after the death of Cleary became public.

Marshall was sitting in his chair surveying the city of Manhattan. The skyscrapers below him were glittering in the night. Billboards and television panels plastered the buildings. Millions of lights representing cars on the roads or in the skies darted through these buildings. In his hands, Marshall held a glass of Arcturian White Vodka with a mint leaf in it. Marshall thought a good drink calmed him down.

It was 3239; he was President.

This was HIS government now. He got up and paced around his office, taking time to straighten his tie in front of a mirror. He stroked his thin goatee thoughtfully as he surveyed his reflection. He then heard a knock on the door, soft against the wooden paneling.

"Come in." He said calmly.

The door slid open, revealing his vice president and several other men. Some he knew, others he didn't. He waved them into his office.

Vice President Henry Qualm was a Supreme Court judge. He was younger than a usual judge because of friends in high places. Now, he was Troy's right hand man.

"Who are these men, Henry?" Marshall asked.

"Men I trust, and you should too."

The president was suspicious. "I trust we are not being monitored?"

"No sir. This office is clean. Security cameras show an empty room."

Troy breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." He glanced at the other men. "Can I get you gentlemen anything?"

There was a chorus of "No, Mr. President among them."

Marshall then turned to Qualms. "I thought it was going to be just us, Henry."

"Trust me."

He gripped his glass tightly and nodded. "OK. Alright."

Troy cleared his throat and looked at the other men. "I...don't know if you're aware of what happened, but we have a situation on our hands. The reason I called the vice president to me is because I need his help. I assume that you can help me as well."

One of the men, a balding man with thick glasses stepped forward.

"Mr. President, my name is Howard Tudyk. I am on the board of the Office of Naval Intelligence. These men are in similar areas of the defense department. You need anything from us, and we are behind you a hundred percent."

Marshall nodded. He felt safer now.

"My attention has been directed towards our anthropomorphic friends."

"The Mobians?" Another man asked.

"Yes, the Mobians." Marshall said not looking at him. "We need to talk about information."

Tudyk arched an eyebrow, interested. "What sort of information?"

Marshall cracked a small smile. He went to his desk, sat down, and clicked a hologram on. An image popped up. It was the representation of a Mobian Royal: Sally Alicia Acorn.

"That's her Highness!" A man said.

"Correct." Marshall said. He was annoyed that a man in that position would need to state the obvious.

"Her Highness, Sally Alicia Acorn, age 25, was reported missing in late 3235, reappearing along with the UNSC _Phoenix_ on January 20th 3238. But we're not interested in her."

That sent a bit of confusion through the men. Even Qualms was a bit confused.

"What do you mean, Troy?" He asked with intention.

"Getting this information was a little difficult, but bear with me, Henry." he turned his attention back to the rotating hologram of Acorn's head and upper body. "Miss Acorn has been sharing information with a young man. _This_ is who we are interested in."

Acorn's hologram disappeared and was replaced with that of a young man. He was clean shaven, wearing a military cap. He had piercing green eyes and a no-nonsense look about him, despite not being all that old.

"This is Captain Christopher James Vennettilli, member of the United Nations Space Command Marine Corps. Been in service from 3234 to 3238. Formally discharged on January 20th and is currently assisting in training new troops under what used to be the Freedom Fighters, now known as the Special Tactics Assault and Rescue team."

"So, what does this guy know?" A man asked.

"More than he should." Marshall tapped a button and combat reports slid through thin air.

"He's a decorated soldier. Been in two wars, stopped missiles from being launched, and a whole lot of unimportant psych reports and assignment listings. He assisted in the capture of Lyle Fukoma."

He let that sink in.

"It says here that Vennettilli has also had multiple contacts with the anomalies known as Chaos Emeralds. Each time, he retained them in custody, on HIS PERSON when, according to military law, he should have handed them over to his immediate commanding officer."

Qualms cleared his throat. "Sir, if I read the reports correctly, Vennettilli was moved out of the 182nd officially and reassigned to Omega Squad for the Mixed Squad project. There was no immediate superior officer."

Ah. That's right. Marshall thought. "All the same, he should have relinquished them. He is still in violation. We also believe that he has come into contact with strategically significant objects on Mobius and seen systems that he should have reported."

Tudyk raised his hand slightly. "Sir, if I am understanding you correctly, are you saying that Captain Vennettilli has been withholding information from the government?"

"That's exactly what I am saying, Mr. Tudyk. We have an information breach. Captain Vennettilli should have been debriefed by the military years ago, but due to his relationship with the Princess, _our_ government decided to overrule the decision." There was a hint of bitterness in Marshall's voice.

"Sir, shouldn't a soldier have teammates?" A man with the marks of a colonel said.

"Yes, but unfortunately, Vennettilli has a bit of a habit of living when other people die. We have no traces on any other protectors. They are all KIA. Barring that, they are _extremely_ well covered.

Another man raised his hand. "Mr. President, what IS the Captain's relationship to the Princess exactly?"

Marshall's mouth twitched. "We believe that it is an intimate one. Social or sexual, we are not sure which, but if they are in a relationship, they're sharing secrets, and we cannot have that."

"What are you suggesting, Mr. President?" Tudyk asked.

"I'm saying," Marshall said through gritted teeth, "that we have a loose end that needs to be tied."

"You're ordering an assassination." the colonel said.

"No. I'm ordering you to bring me Vennettilli for questioning. We are not trying to kill the man. He has information that is vital to the government. Call it an information handoff."

Qualms placed his hands on the table. "This man's status among the Mobians makes him a dangerous target. If we try to take him, the Royals will know something is amiss and will react...harshly. We're talking trade embargos, tariffs, possibly even hostilities. Other races might notice…"

"We will be discreet." Marshall promised. "Tudyk!"

"Yes, Mr. President!"

"You're on the ONI board. I'm making it your personal responsibility to get me men to bring this guy in. Make sure they're armed in case he resists."

"Yes sir!"

Qualms looked to the group of people and then to Marshall. "Sir, the Captain would have friends in close proximity. What if they try to intervene?"

"They are of no importance. Neutralize them."

The men looked at each other. _Neutralize_ them? That would be stepping over a very important line, and it was clear that none of these men wanted to tempt fate. But this was the man that signed their checks, but more importantly, could have them 'removed' in the blink of an eye.

Quietly, they all filed out, leaving the president to look over the city, drink in hand. They had jobs to do, and they had to do it fast. If President Troy Marshall said it was bad, they had to believe him.

What choice did they have?


	2. Chapter 2: A New Kind of Army

Chapter 1: A New Kind of Army

May 6th, 3239, 2015 hours

Military Training Center

Mobius

"Recruits! Right shoulder,_ ARMS_!"

Twenty assault rifles hit the shoulders of the STAR recruits.

The man surveyed his troops.

"Left shoulder, _ARMS!_"

The weapons switched. Now they were on the left sides.

"Recruits! Present _ARMS_!"

The Mobian soldiers stood to and held their weapons at the ready, preparing to be inspected.

Captain Christopher James Vennettilli stepped forward. The soldier he chose was a young terrier. The nametag read 'Wales'. Vennettilli knew his men though. He remembered all of their names. It was his job to ensure that they become the best he could make them.

"State your name, rank and service number, recruit!"

The terrier calmly shouted, "Sir! Daren Wales, Recruit Major! Service Number 82017-19386-DW! Sir!"

"Why did you join the STARs?"

"I wanted to make a difference, SIR!"

"Do you think you _can_ make a difference, recruit?"

The terrier did not hesitate. "Sir, I _will_ make a difference, sir."

That was the sort of stuff Vennettilli wanted to hear. People needed to think they could make a difference in order to actually make one. Confidence way key, and your own willpower was the lock. Vennettilli had been tasked to train the new recruits of the Special Tactics Assault & Rescue team, the organization that was founded to replace the Freedom Fighters. Since Mobius was now a free world, liberated from Doctor Robotnik's grasp by the UNSC, there was no need to fight for freedom.

The King and Queen themselves commissioned him, impressed by his military service and valour. He had taken bullets for Mobius, nearly died for Mobius, he was practically one of them. Plus, he wanted to be nice to the _in-laws_.

Over a year ago, he had proposed to Sally Alicia Acorn, the princess of Knothole, and she had said yes, but she was in no rush to get married just yet. Vennettilli and his friends were discharged from service upon their arrival back on Earth. He needed some work to keep his spirit up and his alertness in tip-top position. He had never been a drill instructor before, so he decided to take the job.

He had noticed within the first few weeks that _all_ of the Drill Instructors were Humans. His two Junior Dis were Staff Sergeant Lauren Michaels, a tough-as-nails Army instructor from Hestor II, and Chief Petty Officer Alfonse Lorenzo, on loan from the carrier _Columbia_.

"Present, your weapon, Recruit Major." Vennettilli commanded.

Wales complied, holding his rifle four inches away from his chest. He pulled the bolt and glanced into the chamber.

"Recruit Major Wales, what is this weapon?"

"Sir! This is an Orion Arms M-22 assault rifle!"

"How many rounds can it hold?"

"A typical magazine size is thirty five rounds!"

"Why are you looking into the chamber?"

"To ensure that this recruit does not present his inspecting officer with a loaded weapon!"

"Recruit Major Wales! Relinquish your weapon at once!" Vennettilli commanded.

"Sir, yes sir!" Wales said. He performed a series of manoeuvres and handed the gun to the Captain.

"How many counts were in that movement?"

"Three counts, sir!"

The Captain looked over the weapon. Field assembly was a key part of STAR training. Recruits knew how to assemble over a hundred weapons. Alien weapons, for the most part, were single pieces, so very little had to be learned there.

Vennettilli tested the bolt, making sure that it was working. Before he knew it, the bolt jammed mid-charge. It was stuck and it wasn't moving.

Great…

Wales noticed his mistake. His eyes darted to the bolt, but shot forward again.

"Recruit Major Wales. Your weapon's bolt is not charging." He tossed the gun to Sergeant Michaels without even looking. She caught it in her left hand. "Care to explain why?"

"Sir…Sir! This recruit does not know! This Recruit believed he assembled his weapon correctly, sir!"

"Don't spout your bullshit to me!" Vennettilli roared. "If this were a situation where an enemy was attacking civilians and you were their only defense, and your bolt jammed, you will die and will be personally responsible for those civilians' deaths!" He turned his head. "CPO Lorenzo!"

"Sir!"

"Work with him!"

"Aye-aye, sir!" The Petty Officer said. He then did his dirty work. He was in Wales face before he even knew it. "You got a lot of fucking balls to pull what you just did, furry! You trying to make the Captain look bad?"

"Sir, no sir!"

"I THINK YOU DID!" The Chief said. "YOU WANTED TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE FUCKED UP! GOT SOMETHING AGAINST HUMANS?"

"Sir, no sir!"

"ON YOUR FACE! FIFTY!"

The frightened Mobian dropped in the blink of an eye and started pushing the ground.

Lorenzo pointed a threatening finger. "Fix your FUCKING bolt, you waste of budget, or the next time it happens, I will _PERSONALLY _KICK YOUR FROM HERE TO THE BADLANDS! YOUR ASS WILL BE SO RED IT WILL _SHINE _THROUGH THAT FUR!"

Vennettilli looked on, and continued his survey. It was clear that there was still much work to do. Of the twenty recruits, around half of them had problems with their guns.

At the end of his survey, he sighed and said, "ATTEN-_SHUN_!"

The group stood still.

"PARADE _REST!_"

The butts of the rifle hit the ground and their left hands went behind their backs.

"I am disappointed." He simply said. "I was asked to train you, thinking that you would be the best first line of defense Mobius had. You are supposed to be the successors of the Freedom Fighters! The fucking Freedom Fighters! You _dishonour_ them! You must show them the respect they all showed you! Starting tomorrow at 0550, we will begin _mandatory_ equipment maintenance! I am _ashamed_ by the lack of organization in this platoon! You understand?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Dismissed! Get the _fuck_ out of my sight!"

The STAR recruits filed out of the courtyard. Soon, there was nothing but the birds singing on the wind.

"Sometimes, I have no idea what I got myself into." Chris said, taking his cap off his head.

"Sir, none of us did." Lorenzo said.

"They wanted the best of the best." Michaels added. "Including you, sir."

"Yeah well, sometimes I feel like kicking my ass every time I have to do this."

"Recruits need discipline. They will become better soldiers for it."

"I was never cut out to be a DI, Sergeant. You on the other hand…you scare me."

Michaels gave an evil smile. "That means I'm doing my job, sir!"

Vennettilli glanced at his watch. "Aw hell, I have to be somewhere! Is it alright if I leave you two?"

"Officially we can't stop you, sir." Lorenzo said smiling. "You're a civilian."

"Hey, I resent that. Once a Marine, always a Marine."

Chris smiled, turned, and left.

There was someone important waiting for him.

* * *

The sun was down by the time he reached the castle. His car's headlights cut through the darkness. Chris silently wondered to himself why castles were separated from the rest of the city. According to history books, most kingdoms were built around palaces, like Rome, or even London. Knothole was an exception to all these places. Castle Acorn was located five kilometers away from the actual city's borders, tucked away in the trees. This castle was hundreds of years old, built during the Dark Ages on this planet. It was something else to see a standing castle though.

He handed his identification to the guard. He was almost happy to see the Human. "You, Human! You helped capture Robotnik!"

"I do what I can."

"Sir, thank you very much! If there's anything we can do…"

"How about opening the gate first?"

"Right away, sir!"

The gates to the castle opened up. Chris noticed that the gate was Human-made. He frowned slightly. It was something he just couldn't let go. Ever since the _Acorn_ and the surviving crew from the _Phoenix_ arrived back at Earth, Mobius had become rapidly humanized in culture and design. It was clear that now the two cultures were symbiotic and that the anthros needed human support now, but they were taking it up a notch. Several companies had set up shop on Mobius, there was reports of corporate outsourcing, and even a whisper of illegal drilling operations in the North Sea.

Something was happening to this planet. Humans were silently taking over. While it was clear there was a peaceful atmosphere – and there genuinely was – a silent shift of culture could counteract everything this race stood for. He banished these thoughts and drove up the road.

There was an armed guard at the door. The Captain got out and showed his credentials. The guards nodded.

"We'll have someone take your vehicle, sir." One of them said.

A rabbit in an MP uniform came up to Vennettilli. "I can take it, sir."

"Alright. Be careful with it though. It's military."

"Yes sir, right away sir."

The MP hopped in the jeep and drove it away. Chris turned and walked indoors, happy to be in its warm halls. The place was well lit, and a fire roared in one corner. Chris smiled. It was unseasonably chilly despite being May. He walked up to the fire and tested the flames with his palms. Beautiful.

"Oh baby, that's the stuff."

"I am glad you approve!"

The Marine almost jumped on the spot. He turned and saw the queen sitting on a sofa with a cup of tea in hand.

"Your highness!"

"Please, Captain. We have gone over this before!"

The Human winced.

"Call me Mom! Now come over here and give me a hug!"

Chris smiled and embraced the queen. "I keep forgetting about that."

"Try not to! I don't want my son-in-law to be too formal around us anymore!"

"You got it!" He said chuckling. "Hey, have you seen Sally?"

"Oh, she's somewhere around here. You know how she loves to run around and do everything."

"Yeah, that sounds like her alright."

The queen took a sip of tea. "Have you a moment?"

"I do. What's up?" He sat down.

"Max wanted me to ask you about that new military group you're training."

"The STARs? They aren't military, not exactly. They're doing alright. We have some trouble with organization and general equipment well-being. I don't know if I can do this. "

"Nonsense, dear. You're a natural leader. I think if you could take Robotropolis by force, you can train a team of, for lack of a better term, _teenagers_.

"Yeah, but they're teenagers with skulls thicker than iron!"

"Kids are like that. I believe there was a strapping young lad once who a little rambunctious."

Chris smiled. "Yeah, but that 'strapping young lad' went through a number of life-changing experiences and made him re-evaluate life."

"Take care not to over-evaluate, dear. That never leads to anything good. Have a little fun!"

"Duly noted."

"Speaking of fun, by the way, I know it's only an engagement thus far, but were you thinking of having children by any chance…?"

"Okay, that's private. Even for you, I can't talk about that."

Queen Alicia crossed a leg and raised an eyebrow. "I'm only asking a question. I know you…well…"

"I have to go."

She laughed heartily. "Alright! Leave your prying mother-in-law!" She happily sipped her tea and giggled warmly in front of the fire.

The fact of the matter was that Sally was hard to find, even when asking for help. She was fast, versatile, and could climb the _hell_ out of any angular surface. Judging from the Gothic arches, the princess had a lot of places she could get to. Chris had searched the Great Hall, the Dungeons, the Observatory, he went through Ops twice, and Doctor Quack had claimed he had never seen her all day.

"Listen kiddo," he had said, "I think if you have to look for her, she's already found you."

Chris had left the clinic wondering what Quack had said. _…she's already found you…_

Cryptic, but there was probably some meaning in it. Before he could think further, he felt a great weight as something fell on him.

"Gotcha!"

Vennettilli didn't fall over, but he was forced to his knee. He gripped the wrists of whoever jumped on him and saw a golden band around one finger.

A ring.

"Sal?"

"Too easy, Human! Too easy!"

Sally Acorn was always one for having fun when she could. Since she was discharged from the military last January, she had been living it up, experiencing thrills, even if they were immature, that had been postponed since she entered service.

Chris smiled though. He liked it when she was happy. "What are you doing?"

"Just hanging around." She said grinning. "I've been following you."

"I kind of gathered that! Where were you? I looked everywhere!"

"I've been following you _everywhere_! I was practicing climbing on the arches in the main hall when you walked in."

Aha. Gothic architecture at its finest.

"Where were you hiding?"

"You see that ledge just off to the right?"

"Yeah, the one you never use?"

"Finally got to use it!" Sally said smiling.

Chris also smiled. "So, I see your day has been kind to you. "

"Oh God, you've been out with the recruits, right?"

"You know it. I need a drink all of a sudden."

"You don't drink."

"I know. Let's sit down at least."

They went to her room. It was spacious, and totally anachronistic with the surrounding structure. Gleaming bamboo covered the floor, a mirror hung from the ceiling, and a small lounge was situated in a corner. Sally's room sure got better over the years.

"Sit down babe." The princess commanded, indicating a chair. Chris, with a glass of ice brandy in hand, sat down.

"The recruits aren't doing too well?"

"You should never have let me train them."

"You were one of our first choices."

"I've never done it before! Lorenzo and Michaels are trained drill instructors! Hell, I only spent three weeks in basic training. It's a fucking string of _miracles_ that I am here today."

Sally crossed a leg. "Yes, but you have experience. You have the 'know how' that makes you invaluable in the field!"

"My 'know how' has gotten people killed before." Chris shot back, taking a sip of the brandy.

"Inevitable." Sally simply said. "They were servicemen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris said, eyes locked on Sally.

_Uh oh…his look…_

"I mean, we all die someday, Christopher."

This seemed to have calmed him down. She sighed and smiled. He was kind of cute when he was angry. That is, whenever he wasn't blowing stuff up.

"The unit's disorganized, they follow orders barely enough, but their execution is horrendous. I'm more afraid of them killing _themselves _and not the enemy!"

"Kind of harsh, Chris."

"What do you want me to say? They aren't soldiers. They're a rung above colonial militia. The only thing that makes them special is in name alone." He looked at his feet. He then looked back. "Do you think it might be possible if we can get the best soldiers there are in here? Maybe they can help us."

"That's going to be tough. A SPARTAN's not a Rent-a-DI. They are killing machines. They aren't trained for search and rescue, just destruction."

"OK, scrap that idea."

"You want me to run it by some of the guys?"

"That would help."

"Good! I won't let you down!" She smiled. "How many of those things have you had?" She said, indicating the glass.

"Two." Chris said. "Why? Am I starting to look a little rough?"

"No, you're loosening up! I like it when you let your hair down a little."

"Oh no. Not tonight."

"Come _on_! You're already up here!"

"And now I'm going down there." He said pointing to the door.

"Huh. You _are_ stressed out. I wonder if…" she cringed.

"What's wrong?"

"Stiff shoulders. I've had them all day." She explained, rolling them around.

"Want me to get that for you?"

"Sure! That would be great!"

Like the gentleman he was, the Captain was willing to help out any woman in distress. He want around the couch and gently kneaded Sally's shoulders. She started sighing.

"Good work. A little lower…lower…" He reached her shoulder blades. "Oh yeah…!"

Vennettilli started to notice that she was enjoying this massage _a lot_.

"Can you get my front? My collar-bones?"

"I can." The Marine simply said. When he placed his hands over her shoulders though, she grabbed his wrists and forced his hands over her breasts.

"There."

"Sally, let go of my hands."

"But I like it." She forced them around.

Chris noticed that he started to like it too. "Your winter coat is going away, I see."

"Christopher, come on! It's that time of year!"

She looked at him in the sexiest way he had seen in quite some time. Damn the eyes. He was sucked in, hopelessly entranced to obey her will. That and the fact that he was subconsciously rubbing her breasts.

He gave a sly smile. That was all she needed.

Sally reached up, grabbed his face, and kissed him deeply. He was ready for it and kissed back. They seemed to fight about it for a little while, but then made their way to the bed.

"Is this starting to become a problem?" the Marine asked.

"No. It's completely natural." She said sweetly, slipping off her vest. She was lying up against him, playing with his dog tags. "Come on, let's have some fun."

She was playing every hand perfectly. She knew exactly what to do, exactly what to say. It was intoxicating, and that _wasn't_ with the duo of ice brandies that the Captain had already sipped down. A few minutes of gentle cooing later, she had him under her spell. He kissed her neck, causing her to shiver in satisfaction.

"Now, Human." She said. She turned, forced him onto the bed, and slipped off her boots. "I need you _now_."

"I aim to please, highness." The Captain said. He also undressed.

She chuckled. "I enjoy it when I'm pleased. Relax. You're in for a night you'll never forget."

"You said that last week."

"Shhh…" she placed her lips to his, and silenced whatever else he wanted to say.

He didn't have to say anything the whole night. It was beyond words.

* * *

The sun rose with a sense of purpose. It stood gleaming in the clouds, bathing the valley with warm light. The light crept into Sally's bedroom, causing her to flutter her eyes. She opened them and looked to her right. There he was, exactly where she left him.

She felt slightly guilty on overworking him. She realized that Humans didn't necessarily have the same drives that Mobians did, but she was more glad that she had spent yet another wonderful night with her favourite Human. He was sleeping soundly, not even bothered by the sun. She stroked his cheek and felt the bags under his eyes. She worried for him, wanted to protect him. After they were finally married, he would never have to fight again, except when their mission came along.

He truly was exhausted. He didn't even respond to her touch. She took his head in her hands and placed it on her chest. He shivered once, but calmed down.

"You'll never leave me, Sally?" he muttered to himself in his sleep.

She smiled, and couldn't help saying, "No. Never."

"I will always protect you…"

"…until your dying breath." She let a tear fall from her eye and she hugged him. "Christopher…"

* * *

The got dressed. They were both elated. A night of sexual release could do that for a person, and they were now coasting on a happy feeling. Twice the Captain kissed her playfully and she laughed with such energy each time, but that turned to genuine romance as they had a hot shower.

Everything was going great until Chris looked at his watch.

"FUCK!"

0921

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

"Relax! We've had enough already!"

"No! Oh Jesus, I was supposed to be on the post for five twenty! It's _nine twenty!_"

Sally looked at her clock. "Oh God. I'm sorry…I didn't mean to make you late."

"They're going to kill me." Chris cursed.

"I'm sorry." Sally repeated.

"No, it's not your fault." The Human said trying to console her. Last thing she wanted was for him to be angry after a wonderful night. "How about we have some dinner when I get back tonight. You and me. No sex, just a fun night, OK?"

"I'd like that." She kissed him on the cheek. "Go do me proud, Captain."

"Once a Marine!" Chris called, tying his boots up. He was just about to step out of the door when he saw Rouge standing there, dressed in her usual black bodyglove. She had a solemn look on her face, as if something was troubling her.

"Oh, hi Rouge!" Chris said.

"Morning, Captain. Need to comb your hair?"

"…What?"

"I see someone slept tight, if you catch my drift."

"What's going on, Rouge? "

"You don't want to play games either, Human. OK, I'm going to be honest. You've been flagged."

"Flagged? What are you talking about?"

"The Office of Naval Intelligence believes that you are the source of an information breach."

He almost laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"Vennettilli, look at me." She ordered.

Chris did, and saw that her look was serious and chiselled from stone.

"You are in serious trouble, and I have been ordered to escort you to ONI's headquarters here on Mobius."

"I hate Tuesdays."

"Well, you're going to really hate me if you don't come with me right away."

Now Chris was suspicious. "Why did they send you? Why not send a regular agent?"

"They said you would co-operate with me since you know me to some degree. As for your second question, there are agents waiting outside to take you into custody."

'Custody'. It meant the same thing as 'Arrest'. What could he have possibly done to warrant this? To his knowledge, he had not been selling information to the Innies or anything like that, and his loyalty was _always_ to Earth. He was a patriot for God's sake!

He also didn't want to make a scene. Already, Sally was coming to the door, with a towel wrapped around her chest. "Chris, what's going on?"

"Change of plans, honey. ONI wants to talk to me."

"What about?"

"I don't know yet. I have to see."

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't know, Sally. I'll be back though."

He fastened his cap over his head, and walked down the staircase. Rouge looked at Sally, sighed sadly, and then followed the Human down.

Sally's angry gaze followed the bat as she walked down the stairwell.

The agents were waiting with a car, an SUV with the All-Seeing Eye spray-painted on it. A large agent dressed in a black turtleneck and black trousers held an assault rifle in hand. Chris looked at it and saw that it was unlike anything he had ever seen, a tube was fastened onto the ejection port of the gun. It glowed green.

_No, it can't be_.

"Sir, we need you to step into the car." The agent insisted.

"Am I under arrest?"

"We can discuss that later, sir." The agent growled.

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me why I am being taken before Naval Intelligence."

"We _can't_ say anything, Chris." Rouge said. "Our orders come from the top. If we breach this information, it warrants _life imprisonment, _or _death_! Please! Get in the car. Please!"

She was pleading with him. She was actually pleading with him.

Something very wrong was going on here, and he wanted to find out what it was. He was a good citizen though. He did as he was told. He sat down in the SUV, and Rouge sat next to him. She looked at him and realized that he was at a loss for words. He had no idea what was happening."

"No touching the goods, Soldier Boy." The agent said, taking a seat across from him. He smirked at Rouge, let his eyes travel to her breasts and then put on a pair of sunglasses.

"I wasn't planning to, Spook."

"Prejudice. Is that any way to get along with the man who holds your _life_ in his hands?"

"Just how deep am I in?"

"Deep." Rouge admitted.

Christopher let his eyes wander to the upper windows of the palace. From there, he saw Sally leaning against the window. He made eye contact, but before he could give her an assuring glance, the SUV took off.

_Somebody better dig me out then._


	3. Chapter 3: ONI

Chapter 3: The Office of Naval Intelligence

May 10th, 3239, 1015 hours

Knothole Kingdom, Mobius

En route to ONI base

The agent sat with his assault rifle in hand. With the glasses on, he couldn't tell where he was looking. Chris didn't dare move though. He was afraid of being shot. In such close quarters, the agent could blow him away and claim it to be an accident because of a pothole or something.

Rouge was also nervous. She too was looking at the agent and constantly shifting her eyes back to the Captain. She seemed slightly frightened if anything.

The agent laughed. "You really have no idea why they're bringing you in."

"Can't say I do."

"Well, I'd tell you, but I'd get shot. Can tell you this though: you're making enemies that you don't want to make."

"What, the government? Have I actually done something so bad that the _government_ wants to take me down?"

"You know it. Should have kept your mouth shut."

"I haven't _said_ anything!"

Rouge pitched in. "Well, there are people farther up the food chain that think otherwise, handsome."

The SUV turned onto the highway. It wasn't very crowded, and soon, they took an unmarked exit on the side of the road. It was well covered by the trees, discouraging busy motorists to pay it much attention.

"ONI's hidden off the side of a highway?" Chris asked, rather amused.

"You're laughing now, but just wait until you see it. We spent three years building the place." The agent growled.

"Do the monarchs know anything about this?"

"What if they did?" The agent countered.

"We're not allowed to talk about that, Vennettilli." Rouge answered.

"Well then what the fuck are we allowed to talk about? When the fuck did you decide to suck the tit of an organization that _thrives _on secrecy and cryptic conspiracies?"

She did not respond to that. She simply looked out the window. The other agent was silent too.

They were nearing what appeared to be a mine of sorts. There were Mobians in front of the tunnel.

"Hey, are you supposed to be here?" One of the miners asked the driver.

"We have a possible HVT. Delivery to Section Zero ASAP."

The miner nodded. "OK. Give me a few minutes to clear you. Don't want to risk any civilian involvement. He tapped a few commands on an arm computer. "OK, you're good. Just drive ahead into the tunnel."

The SUV lurched forward, slowly making its way into the mines. The interior was dark, rocky, and otherwise, rather authentic looking. When they came to a polished metal floor and an elevator shaft, the similarities ended.

"I'm sorry, how much did you pay to make this?"

"Shut it." The big agent said.

The moment that they entered the shaft, the elevator started to descend.

"_Welcome to the Office of Naval Intelligence! This facility was constructed five local years ago to help expand the Human sphere of security to other allied races. ONI intends to preserve peace and maintain goodwill towards other races. Please enjoy your visit, and ask an ONI Representative a question if you would like to know anything about the building! Welcome to the Office of Naval Intelligence!_"

Chris chuckled. "Sphere of Security. What, is that the theme of the month or something?"

"It'll be hard to speak when I rip your vocal chords out! Shut the _fuck_ up!"

Chris laughed a little. He enjoyed pissing the agent off. It was the least he could do since he snatched him away from his fiancée. Rouge was not impressed though."

"This had better be your way of dealing with tension."

"It is."

* * *

They got out of the car when it reached the bottom of the shaft. It went and parked itself further down the hall with other black-painted vehicles. An armed guard escorted them into the main lobby.

According to an information panel, they were approximately a thousand feet below the ground, but the pressure had been equalized. Like all of ONI's structures, the interior was oddly designed, yet functional. There were walkways going across the chasm they were in. It was strangely beautiful, and seemed to be an abstract attractiveness to the architecture.

He didn't get to admire the view long. He was pushed towards a man dressed in a formal suit. He had a tie on which formed an optical illusion if he stared at it too long. A pair of glasses hung on his face.

"Captain Vennettilli, my name is Howard Tudyk. I am on the Board of Directors of the Office Of Naval Intelligence."

Chris huffed. "I thought ONI was run by the Admiralty."

"It is. I am just on the board of Public Representatives. Please Captain, come with me. Rouge, Coheagan, come along."

They walked up a ramp which led to a featureless hall. Two admirals walked past them. They looked at the prisoner with interest and returned to their chat. Ensigns carrying folders jogged down the hall, pressed for time, and every so often, an AI's voice came on the intercom.

There was nothing to tell the passage of time down here. It was probably to keep people going longer. Not even artificial sunlight for Christ's sake!

"Mister Tudyk, I believe as a prisoner, I have the right to know why I was arrested."

Tudyk didn't stop to look at Vennettilli. "Under normal circumstances, perhaps."

"Wait, you mind swinging that by me one more time?" His hands clenched into fists.

Tudyk turned around. For a moment, Vennettilli couldn't see his eyes through the thick glasses. "Normally, Captain, you would have that right. However, these are trying times. We can't just give civil rights out like they're cookies."

"Oh, you son of a bitch-!"

The Marine lunged forward, but Cohagen's powerful hand clamped down on his shoulder. Immediately, he was held back.

"Hmm…" Tudyk said, scrutinizing him. "They did say you were aggressive; no doubt an effect of fighting in the jungles for years. You've had a hard life, Captain. Let _us_ take care of _you._"

"I swear to God I will report you the Board!"

"And I'm supposed to let you go now that you've said that? In here's fine."

They were in front of an interrogation room. Two armed guards stood with submachine guns at the ready. Chris made eye contact with the two Humans. They were well built, muscles showing underneath their uniforms. Unfortunately, the men did not recognize Chris, and that certainly did not work to his advantage. War hero or not, they wouldn't hesitate to put upwards of twenty rounds in his skull.

Tudyk tapped his card on a reader. The door noiselessly slid open. Once inside, it was clear that the whole door was a two way mirror. The hallway was invisible while the outside showed the room.

"Have a seat, Captain."

Chris obliged. It took him every ounce of his strength not to slam Tudyk into the table.

"Can we get you anything? Coffee? Cola?"

"Coffee would be nice. I only drink a specific brand though, it's called 'Fuck You'. I take it black."

"Hmm. Shame. And to think we were getting along so well. Gentlemen?"

One of the guards slammed Vennettilli's head on the table. He cried out in pain. "_WHAT DO YOU WANT?_" He screamed.

Tudyk leaned on the table. "You're a political liability, -"

"_Captain!_"

The man leaned in close and practically hissed it. "_Mister_ Vennettilli. You think you can hide behind an honorific, such as your rank and being a Marine? Not anymore."

Tudyk took a seat across the table. He looked Vennettilli in the eyes. "So…let's talk about you."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yes. Let's talk about your personal life or relationships with anyone?"

Chris looked at Tudyk with an expression that was of utmost loathing. "That's none of your business, Spook."

"You know that we know everything, right? Right down to you sleeping with a member of the royal family on a regular basis."

The Marine did not answer.

"Why don't we start with you telling me about Chaos Emeralds."

"What about them?"

"It was under my attention, while scanning your reports that you came across many Chaos Emeralds in the field. Military regulation clearly states that-"

"Don't cite regulation to me."

"Will you let me finish…?" Tudyk said through gritted teeth.

"By all means."

"Regulations state that you must hand over any alien materiel over to your immediate commanding officer. While it was stated that you were under a new military division, Omega Squad, you were briefly under the command of Colonel Farley, although Farley died three days after the squad's formation. Through a series of channels, that would have made Vice Admiral Andsworth your commanding officer."

"He never asked for them, and I did not keep them on my person."

"Captain, do not try to dodge the issue here. You kept high-risk objects with you on dangerous assignments."

"That's a lie."

"Really?"

"I did not keep them. I handed them over to the Mobian leadership. They were _their _Chaos Emeralds, and thus_ their_ property."

Tudyk shuffled his papers. "You're making this difficult."

"Correction, Spook. _You're_ making this difficult."

"Can you explain your sexual relation to Sally Alicia Acorn?"

"What's there to say? We had sex quite a few times."

Tudyk sneered. "You're being open about this."

"Like you said, you know everything already. Do I need to make a webcam video?"

"Not. Necessary. Captain." The ONI man said. "Are you currently engaged to the Princess?"

"Yes I am."

"Are you planning to marry her?"

"That was my intention when I bought the ring."

"My next question comes in the form of you being around some of the most sensitive materials that mankind has, namely, Slipstream drives, weapons systems, battle plans…"

"Now you think I'm smuggling information?"

"You are a risk."

"What makes you any different, Tudyk?"

"I have sworn my allegiance to Earth."

"So, that makes me a terrorist, that I love someone who looks different?"

"I wouldn't say terrorist."

"But you mean that."

Now it was Tudyk's turn to be silent. After a minute, he spoke. "We are trying to safeguard Humanity's place. We don't want to jeopardize all we have done."

"So…you're a racist."

"Answer the question I posed, Captain."

"Vennettilli, Christopher, Captain. 09790-07802-CV."

"Captain, you are not a prisoner."

"Vennettilli, Christopher, Captain. 09790-07802-CV."

"I'm sick of this bullshit." Tudyk nodded to one of the guards.

"Vennettilli, Christoph—OH GOD!"

The guard took Chris' right arm and held it behind his back to the point where his arm nearly dislocated.

"JESUS CHRIST! AUGH!"

"You're starting to be a major pain in the neck, Vennettilli. I have people waiting for this information! You WILL tell me everything you know! What are the Mobian systems like?"

"I…I know what you want. You want to destroy that planet. It's resources, untapped and pure. That's why you want my information, you son of a bitch!"

Tudyk's mouth was a thin white line. "Hurt him."

The other guard grabbed the man's other arm and bent it. It was clear that the human arm was not meant to be moved this way.

Chris screamed at the top of his lungs as his elbow started to crack.

"That's enough." Tudyk said. "Now, I will ask you one more time. Tell me all about the Mobian defense system, or I will order the gentlemen behind you to break your fingers one by one. Starting with this one." He pointed to Christopher's ring ringer. Around it was a golden band.

As much as he loved his planet, he couldn't stomach what ONI was doing.

"Fuck you."

"OK. You obviously aren't as devoted to your planet as you seem. You are weakening the UEG by withholding your information. You are a criminal, and refusing to co-operate could land you a life sentence in jail, if you're lucky of course. Guards?"

"Wait, Mister Tudyk."

Rouge had stepped forward, stepping in front of the ONI director and his men. "If I may sir, I might have a way to divulge his information."

"I'm actually surprised, Rouge." Tudyk said. "I almost thought you'd buy into his crackpot accusation."

"He has to be. Everything ONI's done here has helped the Mobians. If he can tell us a little more, it can make us even more powerful; finally bring us to the stars."

Tudyk was interested. "You have a method?"

"I know what I'm good at, sir." She said winking.

"I see."

"No surveillance." Rouge said.

"Done. How long will you need?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"OK, good luck."

With that, Tudyk turned on his heel and walked outside. The guards followed. As soon as they were through the door, Rouge tapped in commands on a wall-mounted keypad.

"_Opacity 100%_." The computer reported.

Rouge smiled. "Now, let's get to business, Human."

Chris just cradled his arm. "I can't believe you're in on this."

She came close to him. She had a look in her eye that was just like Sally's.

_Just like Sally's…_

"What are you doing?"

"I told you…back in New Mombasa. I said you were handsome."

"Get away from me!"

"Why? Face it; I am your only way out of here."

"I'm getting married!"

She then grabbed his arm and brought him close. "Play along." She whispered into his ear. "Something very wrong is going on here."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Escape." She kept eye contact. "There's a gun on my hip." She instructed. "I want you to take it, along with my access card."

"Where's the card?"

She winked.

"What, did I not touch first base yet?"

"Actually, funny you should mention that." The bat reached down her breast-guard and produced a transparent card with a barcode on it. "Give me a kiss and we'll call it even."

The Captain didn't even hesitate. He gave the thief a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Sally doesn't know how good she has it." Rouge said. He had the gun in his hand. "Now rough me up a little."

"Sorry?"

"They'll suspect me if you don't. It'll be an escape attempt, I'll say you overpowered me, and I'll be free to help you out when I can."

"Rouge, I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Just watch they eyes. I need those."

She squinted, preparing herself for the pain. Chris swiped with the custom firearm. The butt hit Rouge square between the eyes. She gasped in pain, but was otherwise silent. She had a trickle of blood from her scrape. But it wasn't much.

"Not good enough. You need to hit me harder."

The Captain complied. He delivered a left hook that bruised her jaw and sent a stream of blood out her nose. He evened it up on the other. Finally, he kneed her in the stomach. Rouge doubled over, coughing violently.

It pained Chris to do it. He made it a point never to hit women, but he was desperate now.

"Jesus Rouge. I'm sorry."

"Get the fuck out of here!" She said through the blood. "Go! You have seven minutes! I want you to hang a left, and continue until you reach an access corridor. The code is 343117. Take that, and then you have a straight shot to the surface."

* * *

The Captain tapped the card on the interface. The door opened silently. Thankfully, the guards were not present, meaning he had a bit of an opportunity. With Rouge's access badge pinned to his shirt, ONI personnel wouldn't question his presence. The door slid shut, and he set off at a brisk walk with a clipboard in his hand.

The hallway was deserted. He found the access corridor further down the way. Vennettilli looked and found the keypad. He tapped in the code, 3-4-3-1-1-7. The red lights flashed green. Immediately, he saw people coming down the hall. Thinking fast, he turned his cap around and looked at his clipboard.

"Hey, what's going on?" A man asked. He had the markings of a Lieutenant Junior Grade.

"Just a routine maintenance run, sir."

"Huh." The JG said. "Didn't expect them to preform one today."

"Yeah, ain't the world full of surprises? Turns out we have a busted power junction further down. A couple levels went dark."

"Jesus. The AI should have been watching that."

"I'll say."

"OK, catch you later man."

The Captain hurriedly opened the door and slid inside. The corridor was dark and crowded. There were pipes going all over the place. He nearly smacked his head off a few of them. Eventually he came to a corridor. He then realized that Rouge never said which way to go.

As if to answer his question, he saw a flash of light. It disappeared as quickly as it came. He ran towards it and saw that it was an elevator.

He laughed at the sheer brilliance of it. The shaft was huge, easily a good hundred feet across. Then came the catch.

The left side of the shaft was made of glass. The entire atrium had a view of the elevator shaft. If the Marine was not careful, he could get spotted.

"Come on, THINK!"

"_Attention! Attention all armed personnel! We have an escaped convict in the facility! Be on the lookout for Captain Christopher Vennettilli. Five foot five, brown hair and green eyes. He is dressed in olive cargo pants and a grey silk T-shirt. He is considered armed and dangerous, attacking an ONI agent and subduing her. Shoot to capture. Do not shoot to kill, repeat, do not kill him!_"

The ruse was done. Now they weren't screwing around. He realized that he couldn't take the elevators now. Guards could be at every corner.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" a man said.

Chris looked around, alarmed. An engineer was behind him. Without even realizing it, he punched the man, who was knocked out cold. He groaned and slumped on the ground. Chris took the man's jacket and a skeleton key from his belt. Now he had a way to get into any restricted area. The only question now was how he was going to get up.

An elevator started to rise. It was the only way. He needed to time the jump though. Too early, and he risked breaking his legs or would fall off. Too late, and he wouldn't make it. Regardless, he didn't want to spook whoever was on that elevator. It came closer and closer.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

He leapt, adrenaline pumping. He hit the elevator and immediately rolled. He stopped dead center, grabbing the emergency ladder. The atrium fell away. As far as he could tell, he wasn't spotted. He continued watching the elevation numbers on the side of the shaft. When the numbers started to get closer to zero, he started looking for a way off.

Thankfully, most elevators had some sort of top access hatch at the highest point of the shaft. It was indicated by flashing yellow lights. When the car stopped, he climbed the ladder. After a few minutes of climbing, he encountered an emergency hatch. Using the skeleton key, he popped the hatch and took a deep breath of fresh air.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky and it blinded Chris. He shielded himself from the glare and tried to get a fix on where he was. It was on the far side of the complex. Vennettilli then ducked low as a helicopter flew over the area. He was being hunted.

Chris looked at the gun in his hand. It was the one Rouge lent to him. It was a ten millimeter, matte black, and made with a heart-shaped ironsight. It made him laugh, but he wasn't about to doubt the power of this gun.

He jogged through the growth, trying not to be seen. Mentally, he tried to make a picture of the area he was in. The tunnel he entered was south of his position. It was a good reasoning that he head towards the East or the West for the best escape route. He checked his watch and realized he was closer to the east. As for perimeter defenses, he didn't expect much. For a facility masquerading as a mine, it would look odd to post armed guards. So he ran, he ran and didn't stop for anything. The chain fence was visible. He gained some speed but stopped when he saw that it was electrified.

"Think, think! A fence needs a generator of sorts…"

A low humming was heard nearby. This had to be it. Upon further investigation, he discovered that it was a Mobian power station, repurposed to power the electric fence. With the engineer's key, he tapped into the main power grid and shut down the field.

Immediately, alarms went off.

"_Attention, all base personnel, power loss for perimeter fence. Source of disturbance, junction 22-Delta. Please respond!_"

_They're coming_…

He sprinted back to the fence. In his haste, he went into Conditioned Awareness. He seemed to be moving quickly, and the world moved slowly. He practically vaulted over the fence. The Human ignored the barbed wire and continued the leap. His leg got cut and he fell to the ground. Rocks poked at his hands as he got to his feet. With a burning sensation, he limped into the forest. Helicopters continued to comb the area, scanning for his position. By the time they got to where he was before, Vennettilli was long gone.

Now he needed to get off this planet.


	4. Chapter 4: Abigail

Chapter 4: Abigail

May 10th, 3239, 1540 hours

Castle Acorn

Mobius

/Begin Entry/

_I've been betrayed by my people. I have been made a criminal. I do not know how, and I do not know why, but I am being hunted for what they believe I know. They will have twisted my image. Only a few will trust me, but I know one person that will. At least one. _

_If something happens to me and this journal survives, this will be my testament. ONI is corrupt, the government is corrupt and is trying to assert themselves on Mobius. I need people that believe me. Please…believe me_.

/End Entry/

Helicopters flew through the air. Vennettilli watched one of the vehicles dip low to the trees. ONI was relentless. Based on when he accessed the power junction, they were able to extrapolate his position.

Clever bastards.

Twice he had received the fright of his life. He could have sworn he heard radio chatter among the trees. ONI would be sending their human bloodhounds. He had heard about these augmented humans who had supreme tracking skill akin to ancient man. He kept running. Using only his watch, he could guess which way Castle Acorn was.

He was hopelessly lost.

Chris felt his legs ache and decided to sit down. He found a comfy-looking rock and rested. His chest went up and down as he took deep breaths. His lungs were on fire from his running.

"Where the hell am I?" He asked nobody in particular. Not like he expected a response anyway.

The forest was silent. There was only the singing of birds.

"Fuck it." The Captain said. He got back up and headed south.

The sun was getting lower and lower. Soon he would have no light to see. That would spell disaster for his escape attempt and it might cost him his life.

* * *

Sally looked out the window. She kept her eyes on the forest, hoping that the Human was alright. Various aircraft were strafing over the trees. It worried her. She paced the floor of her room, thinking. What did ONI want? What did that mean? She got even more frightened as she let her mind wander. She shut that out and sat down.

She unclipped NICOLE from her belt and consulted her.

"What's up?" The AI asked.

"I need your help?"

"Name it."

"Chris is missing."

"I know, I saw and heard. You need me to find him?"

"Could you?"

"Easier said than done." NICOLE said giving a nervous laugh. "I need some form of locater, such as a neural implant or a tracking beacon."

"Wait! UNSC Marines have those bloodstream transponders!"

"You're right!" NICOLE said. "OK, hang on while I access."

Sally raised an eyebrow. "You intend to do this how…?"

"When I spent time on the _Phoenix_, I learned a few tricks."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really." The Lynx's hologram appeared and she placed a hand to her head. Lines of code spread across her body and she said, "It's done. I have his co-ordinates! He's not too far from here!"

Sally was moving before she was done her sentence.

* * *

Vennettilli climbed a pine tree, trying to ignore the pain of the pines as they stung him. His watch said it was nearly five in the afternoon. The helicopters were replaced with jets armed with IR radar systems. He would show up as a white-hot dot in their vision soon, unless he moved fast. He searched around, hoping to see some sort of sign that he was even close…

There! Further down in the distance! He saw one of the castle's keeps! He was so close. People would help him there! People would believe him…

That's when he stopped dead in his tracks. He realized sadly that this would be the first place ONI would check. He stood on his branch, thinking that he couldn't return to the castle. He couldn't see Sally. Not now anyway.

But where would he go? Where would he turn to? He needed to get off Mobius, go somewhere different. Millions of places came through his mind. Most of them were on Earth, some of them were on some of the other colonies. He could head into deep space, but there were hostile creatures out there. The Covenant Remnant, or even the Shi'Kri'Lash.

Before any of this though, he needed a way to get into orbit. He needed to head into town.

"Chris?"

He snapped his head around, the custom pistol at arm's length.

"Chris!"

He looked down and saw Sally at the foot of the tree with a wide grin on her face.

The Captain was overjoyed. He leapt down the branches and nearly tumbled. He landed at her feet and at once gave her a huge hug.

"Baby."

"What happened, Chris?"

"ONI took me to their headquarters. They're hidden away under a mountain! They were interrogating me, slammed my head off a table."

"Speaking of which, you're bleeding!" Sally sad rubbing his forehead. A gash had formed on his temple. She took her hand away and saw it was dyed red. "How did you escape?"

"Rouge."

"Rouge?"

"She gave me her gun and access card. She wanted to help. She said she would contact me later."

"Christopher, I don't think you should trust her. She's an ONI agent."

"Sally, you of all people should know that _something_ is going on here, like ONI's playing a hand or something."

"What, like has a hidden agenda?"

"Exactly."

She paced around. "I think I can see the angle you're coming from. Ever since the Portable Warpgate testing I thought they wanted something extra."

"Hang on a tic." Chris asked all of a sudden. "How did _you_ find _me_?" He suddenly was scanning the sky.

"Oh, NICOLE knows."

"NICOLE?"

"_What can I do, Captain_?"

"How did you find me?"

"_Excellent question, Captain. Your bloodstream transponders were the key. Typically after a discharge, the military shuts down the transponders until the serviceman is recalled to service, if ever. Now, I reactivated them to secure your location._"

"Wait…YOU TURNED THEM BACK ON?"

"…_Should I not have done that?_"

"**FUCK**!" The Captain said looking to the sky in alarm. A trio of jets swarmed over. "They know where we are! Let's go!"

* * *

"_Nightraider 6-9, Falcon 21-4. Check scan radius._"

"_Nightraider 6-9, scan holding clear, panning to 64 kilometers_."

"_Verify contact located, Nightraider_."

"_Verified. Target located 1.7 kilometers, +9 meters elevated. How copy_?"

"_Falcon 21-4 copies all. Nightrider, do NOT engage target. Repeat, you do NOT have permission to engage ground targets. Let the troopers deal._"

"_Acknowledged, Falcon. Nightraider flight on station to provide support._"

"_Copy, Nightraider. Falcon 21-4 out_."

* * *

The jets screamed over the forest. Vennettilli swore loudly as he started running.

"Thanks a lot! You just broadcasted my position across the entire sector! They're going to come in _droves_!"

"What? I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

"We need a place to hide. If we can get underground, we can block the signal.

Sally took a look around and smiled. "Hang on; I think I know a place!"

They set off on a brisk run, vaulting over exposed roots. They heard the twin whine of a dropship's engines on the air, followed by shouts.

"Where are we going?" He asked, starting to run out of breath.

"You'll see! This is it!"

They were running towards a tree stump.

A tree stump.

"I don't know whether you're making jokes or are just totally fucking insane." Chris said.

"Don't argue, just get inside!"

He did as she ordered, and found out that this stump was hollow, and that it was going underground.

Chris waited until he climbed down a ladder and emerged in a large room to ask, "Where are we?"

"This used to be the headquarters of the Freedom Fighters." She looked around and saw that the furniture and the monitors were covered in dust. "It's been a long time."

Chris looked at one of the monitors. He wiped some dust off and saw that the UNSC logo was painted on it.

"You had UNSC forces here?"

"That's how we discovered it in the first place."

"Holy cow." Chris said rubbing the back of his neck. "NICOLE, how are we on signal jamming?"

"_Hmm…it appears that your signal is not emanating from this location. It is possible that the bunker's structure is blocking it, but I'm reading EM signatures as well. Can't exactly pin the source, but I can tell it's nowhere nearby._"

"What, someone's helping us?"

"That seems plausible."

"Can you get a fix on the location?"

"_Negative. The signal's location is being blocked._"

"A jammer for a jammer." Sally said. "Clever." She then went to a map of Mobius. "Well, we owe them our lives, rather, you owe them your life."

"Of course."

"OK, here we are in the Great Forest, not too far from the castle." She pointed to a map, circling their location with a finger. "You need a ship to get out. Normally I would recommend one of ours, but the military would almost certainly be covering it. Therefore, I would recommend a somewhat unorthodox option."

"You want me to stow away."

"Best way to get you out of the system."

"What if I get caught?"

"Would you rather it if you didn't even try?"

He stopped to think about it. He answered, "No. Let's do it. We've got to hide out somewhere."

"Not us…just you."

"What?"

"Christopher…I can't go."

"Please! Please! I need someone! I need you!"

"I'm very sorry, but I can't go with you."

He looked at her and said, "Why?"

"It's complicated."

"Alright. Are you going to be OK here?"

"I'm…positive. Yes I'll be alright."

"If I can get a message to you Sal, I will."

"I know. Take NICOLE with you. You'll need her more than I do."

"_She's right, Chris._" The AI said. "_You'll need my help_."

She unclipped the computer and handed it to the Human. She carefully looked over the device and let it go.

"Take care of her."

"Don't worry about it, Sal."

"_Jamming signal is back up. Can't get a good fix on your location._"

"Looks like someone's covering my ass again. Alright, I'm off. I'll send you a message once I get somewhere safe.

"Good luck."

"Don't need it. I'll be fine." He checked the load on his pistol, hung it on his belt, looked around only once, and climbed up the ladder.

* * *

Night was beginning to fall. He had made it back to the castle undetected, but it was already clear that ONI was patrolling the area. Some of their black-clad agents were walking around in the company of regular military forces. While it was clear they were not invading the place, they were looking to the Captain.

Chris needed a ride. He remembered the car he came in on. It was most likely located in a garage of sorts.

He entered the grounds around the North Wing. This area oversaw the forest with a huge pond. There were no walls or watchtowers, but some guards were patrolling. Chris was confident that the Mobian guards wouldn't care if they saw him, but heaven help the UNSC soldiers that got in his way. He wouldn't kill them, but they'd wake up with a hell of a headache.

He kept to the shrubs, using this approach to cover ground. He quickly cursed as a Pelican swooped in, landing in the East Wing. Had he not fallen back, he would have been spotted by the powerful searchlights.

His thoughts then went to ONI. Now that he thought about it, there were numerous ways that they could have tracked him. They could have used a satellite to follow him in orbit, use IR scanners, and even activate his transponder. So…why? Why hadn't they done this already? Was this mysterious force so powerful that they could shut down the Office of Naval Intelligence's equipment?

NICOLE hissed in his ear. "_Watch it! Patrol, 20 meters north. They look like Humans_."

The AI was correct. A trio of Marines strode around the corner. They were joking to themselves.

"_Hang on; I'm going to activate a sprinkler about a hundred feet away. As soon as they're clear, run for it_."

A sound of water hissing was heard. The Marines, a little jittery from night-duty, drew their weapons and went to investigate.

"_Go! Run, Human!_"

Chris took off, trying to be as quiet as possible as he ran for a giant urn. He reached it with speed, quickly rolling to burn of excess velocity.

"_Nice roll._"

"Thanks."

"_OK, ahead of you should be a two-levelled terrace. You see it_?"

"Yes."

"_That's the South Entrance. It'll bring you right in!_"

He jogged across, moving into the hall. "OK. Where to next?"

"The vehicle bay is approximately three levels down. At the first intersection, take a right and an immediate left."

"The Marine did as instructed and saw a staircase. When he was about to go through the door, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. His Conditioned Awareness activated by the stress. He grabbed the hand and pulled it in front of him. Instantly, the gun was pointed at the person.

His jaw dropped as he noticed he was pointing at Miles.

The kitsune nearly screamed. He looked down the barrel of the gun and started breathing heavily.

"Oh Jesus Christ…!" Chris said.

"You can say that again!" Tails said, reaching for his heart.

"You just put a GUN in my face!"

"Keep it down!" He begged.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"No, I mean it! I don't know what you did, and I don't WANT to know, but you've pissed somebody off, and there are more soldiers here than I've ever seen before!"

"Whatever I said, I didn't say it. I don't _know_ anything, Miles."

"Dude, whatever you say."

"You don't believe me?"

"I don't know."

"Whatever, I don't need you to believe me. I just need to know where the garage is."

"How do I know you weren't playing us the whole time? What if you really were just a double agent for the Insurrectionists?"

Chris sighed, fed up. He held up his hand.

"Miles, you see this ring? I gave this ring to the one woman I truly loved. This ring means that I will not keep secrets from her and that I will be faithful to her. I ask you this, would Sally have accepted if she thought otherwise? Would she accept if she didn't trust me?"

Tails looked at the ring and sighed. "No. She trusts you. She also gave you NICOLE. If that isn't trust, I don't know what is. If she believes you…" He reached into his pocket and gave him a cardkey. "You'll need this to get into the garage. Security's been tightened. Good luck, man."

He was about to turn and walk away.

"Hey Human."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I said."

"Miles, we all make mistakes." He then ran down the stairs without another word.

The door leading to the garage was the size of double doors. Chris swiped the card and opened it. Thankfully, the garage was empty. There were plenty of vehicles, but he selected the M931 Bandersnatch. The Bandersnatch was a military grade combat jeep of Human design. It had an angular body, complete with a set of floodlights on the roof and a winch on the fender. He gunned the engine and shifted into Drive. The jeep purred and jumped forward.

The Bandersnatch went up the ramp and exited the garage at top speed. At this time, some of the ONI agents realized what was going on and was calling in the disturbance. Chris was already down the road when he ran into the gate guard.

"Open the door, please!"

"What's going on?" The rabbit asked.

"I'm being chased!"

"Why?"

"Open the gate!" he shouted.

The guard flinched and tapped on his keyboard. The gate slid apart and the jeep was through before it was fully opened. The side-view mirrors snapped off and fell into the gravel. He glanced behind him and saw black SUVs following him, and when he angled his eyes upward, he saw the twinkle of searchlights on helicopters.

He followed the road. The SUVs started to catch up. He cursed and tried to find a way to get rid of them. Three of them moved to box the military vehicle in. Chris thought fast and blew the tires out of the one on the driver's side. The car slumped. With a good shove, the jeep slammed into the SUV, rammed it off the road where it impacted against a tree.

_One down. Two to go_.

The ONI vehicle on the passenger side rolled down its windows. Agents with submachine guns unloaded into his tires with no effects. The Bandersnatch's tires were not filled with air, rather carbon nanotubes, which was the same material that made space elevators. This made them virtually indestructible.

Thinking fast, Chris slammed on the brakes, causing his rear fender to break the headlights of the SUV behind him. He also dropped behind the other car. Using Rouge's pistol, he shot out the tires of the lead vehicle, forces his hood against the rear of the damaged SUV, and turned his wheels so that he made the car spin out. The SUV hit a bump in the road while it was broadside, and flipped twice.

It landed on its hood, and the agents inside were struggling to get out.

_Two down. One to go_.

The final SUV was blinded because of the Captain's quick thinking. The agents inside were squinting to see the road ahead. Chris then used this temporary veil of stealth to his advantage. He shut off his lights and dropped behind the car, unbeknownst to them. When in position directly behind the SUV, he cranked his high-beams which caused the driver to weave over the road. The ONI vehicle drove off the road, spun around for a little while, and hit a tree.

_Three down! That's what I'm talking about_.

"_Nice driving, slick._" NICOLE commented. "_You might want to watch out for that helicopter. I'm also picking up some signals over the police scanner. Listen to this._"

"_All units, all units. Putting out an APB on a military vehicle. A Bandersnatch rapid deployment vehicle has been reported entering city limits. Checking databases for 10-29, reference UNSC Military databases. We also have a 10-32 on the driver. Please stand by…new developments, driver has been involved in a 10-59 hit and run case, government officials have been killed._"

"Holy shit, I killed one of them?" Chris said starting to panic.

"_Keep focused, Human_." NICOLE said. "_Take a left here._"

The radio kept going. "_This is 8-2, can we get a 20 on that jeep?_"

"_Stand by, 8-2. Reports of jeep on Royal Avenue and Poundstone Way._"

"_9-1, I'm a block away. Responding_."

Vennettilli saw a Knothole Police cruiser round the corner.

"_I got him! Initiating Code 3 pursuit!_" The siren was on and the cruiser chased the jeep.

"NICOLE, I need the quickest possible route to the airport!"

"_Stand by, Captain. Working…OK, I have it done!_ _Take a right on Fjord Way!_"

He cranked the wheel hard to the left. The tires screeched on the cobblestone roads, but he made the turn. The cruiser was stubborn, as it made the turn.

"_Requesting backup. He's not stopping_."

"_9-1, this is 7-4. I'm right behind you."_

"_Take a right, Human!_"

Chris obeyed and made the car turn. Frightened citizens scampered out of the way.

"_OK, after three kilometers, we're going to be going on Highway 101, you understand? We follow that straight to the airport!_"

"Roger!"

The helicopter was still hot on his tail, its powerful lamp illuminating the road. Frankly, it had pissed Vennettilli off. He leaned back over the seat, aimed at the chopper and fired. Five rounds blasted from the pistol. The third round connected, blowing the searchlight out.

"_Jesus Christ! 9-1 calling in an 11-6! Shots fired, shots fired!"_

"_Smooth_." NIOCLE said sarchastically.

"Does Knothole PD carry guns?"

"_Only Special Response Units. Street Constables only carry nightsticks. SRUs on the other hand carry KK-25 semi-autos._"

"Hazard to guess which one's behind us?"

A bullet slammed into the car's body.

"_SRU_."

"OK." He shifted the jeep into high gear. "Any reason why ONI's pulling back?"

"_Extrapolating…my analysis of the current situation leads me to believe that ONI's pulling back because they don't want to make a scene._"

"Fair analysis."

"_Human! Spike strip!_"

A pair of officers threw a retractable spike strip over the road. Chris pulled on the emergency brake and made a 180. The cruisers on the other hand weren't as lucky. The spinning car took their attention off the road, only to capture it again with the popping of tires.

"_Recalculating…new course set in. You can take a left here on Percival Boulevard._"

The jeep made the turn. Down the street, a sign guided him, but five cruisers lined up and formed a roadblock.

"_KNOTHOLE POLICE DEPARTMENT! DRIVER, SHUT DOWN YOUR ENGINE, COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!_"

Chris cracked his neck. "I'm gonna enjoy this."

"_DRIVER, FINAL WARNING! TURN OFF YOUR ENGINE AND SURRENDUR OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!_"

The Captain's foot nearly went through the floor as he continued to pick up speed. A couple of bullets rebounded off the window, but the officers ran for cover, assuming there would be a crash.

"NICOLE! Calculate point of least resistance!"

"_Between cruisers three and four!_"

"Here we go…!"

The Bandersnatch impacted between the two cars. The spacing between the trunks allowed the Captain to plough right through. The cars spun out as the heavy jeep simply shunted them aside. Stunned officers just stared as the jeep got away. The Mobian cops had never seen anything like it in their lives. The chopper, unable to continue pursuit with a broken searchlight, was forced to return to base. The damaged cruisers had to be removed, but by that time, the stolen jeep was already coasting down the highway in the night.

* * *

Chris continuously heard sirens in the distance, but they never got close. All the while he was listening to the reports over the police scanner. Apparently, his evasion ruffled a lot of feathers and they listed off areas that needed assistance because of it.

"NICOLE, how many infractions have I committed?"

"_Seven; including resisting arrest, ramming a police vehicle, and driving off of roadways_._ You have also committed a felony, murder in the third degree_."

"That was _not_ my fault. I never wanted to kill them."

"_Evidently, the department will not care, so long as you are brought in._"

"And to think I was started to be well-liked around here."

The airport was illuminated by bright lights. A commercial line was taking off. Its thrusters burned blue as the craft rocketed into the upper atmosphere. At this point in time, getting on a public flight was out of the question. There was a manhunt going on for him. Last thing he needed was to get stopped at a metal detector and thrown in the brig.

He looked for another way. NICOLE sliced into the security cameras and suggested he look around the perimeter. A careless cargo mover had left a gate open while going for a smoke. The Marine took the opportunity and coasted inside before anybody noticed.

The goal was orbit-capable transport, nothing with a turbine. He needed _off_ Mobius. Generally, atmospheric craft were separated from orbital craft, as jet-wash could damage some of the planes. According to the map, the docks were located on the far East part of the airport.

Vennettilli gunned the Bandersnatch's engine, keeping the vehicle in the dark. A pinprick of light began combing around the area. Another helicopter had come to find him, although they were totally lost, guessing at random at where he was.

The hard part was securing passage or commandeering one. Pilots generally checked identity before a flight to ensure they were not transporting convicts. He kept his pistol secured in his pocket, making sure the safety was on until he needed it.

He found a suitable target. It was a Mobian freighter. It was shaped like a space shuttle with cargo containers strapped under its wings. Better yet, it was running the royal flag on its hull. He scanned the name: _Emerald Fox_.

He parked the Bandersnatch and exited the vehicle. Vennettilli crept with his pistol drawn and kept at arm's length. The _Emerald Fox _seemed to be beckoning him forward. Its hatch was even extended. He ran through a plan. If the pilot was in there, he would hold him or her hostage and force them to get into orbit. If it was unmanned, he would find a place to hide, preferably within the engine room. He didn't trust himself enough to take this bitch out on his own. He'd be more likely to drive it off the tarmac where it would explode in pretty colors.

He went through multiple versions quickly. Being a soldier, he could process information fast and efficiently. Just when he was about to run up the ramp, a shotgun was pointed at his chest.

"Freeze!"

Vennettilli's jaw dropped. His hands went up and the gun dropped to the ground. The soldier was a female rabbit wearing a black T-shirt and camouflage pants. White letters 'R.A.F.' were printed on it.

"Stay right where you are!" She ordered.

"OK. Calm down. Let's take it easy."

She gripped her shotgun tighter for a second, but then her grip loosened. She lowered the weapon and looked at the young man. "Are you Captain Christopher James Vennettilli, formerly of the 182nd Marine Infantry Division, 5th Battalion?"

"Yes."

"Were you transferred to Omega Squad for the Mixed Species Squad project?"

"I was."

"I…Captain! My name is Major Abigail Hera, 225th Mobian Fighter Wing."

Chris almost found himself saluting in the presence of a superior officer. "Ma'am."

She became conscious of the shotgun in her hands and dropped it on the deck. "We need to get you out of here."

"Excuse me?"

"The Office of Naval Intelligence has just labelled you a high value target. You are in danger and I am here to escort you to safety."

"What, you were _ordered _to protect me?"

"Yes." Hera simply said.

"And I just _happened _to pick the ship you were on?"

"Luck's funny that way, Captain." She turned on her heel and walked into the vessel. He followed her, making sure that the tarmac was clear of the curious. He tapped the door closed and picked up the shotgun, taking care to unload it.

"Major, who ordered you to protect me?"

"The Royals."

"They knew I'd be in danger?"

Hera turned to look at him. "In a way."

"What's to prove that you're really a soldier? Anybody can get a uniform."

She tilted her head. "Are you testing me, Captain?"

"Just backing up a claim, ma'am."

"OK, that shotgun you have there." She took it. From a counter she took a greasy bandana, wrapped it around her eyes and disassembled the weapon. She then laid it out in neat rows, and then put it back together and loaded a slug. She performed drill manoeuvres while the Captain watched. He was stunned. It was almost as if she had mastered Conditioned Awareness. She spun the weapon three times around her back and slammed the butt on the ground. With a smile, she removed the bandana. "Satisfied?"

"Indeed, ma'am."

A flash of light came through a porthole. "Ah shit! They found us!" Hera cursed. She ran to the cockpit while the Captain followed her. She jumped into her seat and placed a helmet on her head. Hera connected an oxygen mask and checked over the equipment. "Have a seat, Captain!"

Chris took the helmet next to her and slipped it over his head. He made sure the he connected his mask as well.

"Ever been in the front seat of a shuttle?"

"Never taking off like this."

"Well buckle up. We take off jet-style here!"

She activated the turbines on the freighter. The craft started to lurch forward as Hera manoeuvred towards the runway.

"NICOLE, can you provide safe take-off assistance?"

"_Gladly, Captain. Synching with the freighter's systems…I'm in_."

A green line was painted over the runway in the ship's HUD. Hera expertly followed it.

"Watch it, SUVs are trying to block us!"

ONI vehicles started to converge on the craft. Hera slammed the throttle down. The freighter started to pick up speed as it rumbled down the runway. Using the foot pedals, Hera avoided the black cars. NICOLE also continued to alter the course to avoid barricades. Soon, they were on the straightaway. The freighter opened up, going hundreds of kilometers an hour. Chris could feel his skin being pulled by the acceleration. Abigail didn't flinch though, as if she had done this hundreds of times.

The nose of the freighter left the ground. Another burst of speed and the rear wheels did too. The freighter was airborne. The wedge-shaped craft then rocketed towards the edge of space to save its precious cargo. Behind them, military jets started to take off.

The chase was on.


	5. Chapter 5: Renegades

Chapter 5: Renegades

May 10th, 3239, 2004 hours  
Mobius International Airport  
Royal Air Force Shuttle _Emerald Fox _Juliet Niner Six-Two (ID# 12-9341)

The acceleration threw Vennettilli into his chair. He was quite used to throttling up into the atmosphere, but this was usually with a dropship. This was a shuttle, and shuttles didn't always have the same inertial dampers if they had them at all. The acceleration gripped at his face as he tried to make out the clouds through his visor.

"Captain, stay with me." Hera said.

Chris tried to. He saw the black tugging at the corners of his vision.

The shuttle tore through the sky; the bullets flying at her pinging off the hull. The small caliber rounds were not going to do any serious damage to the ship.

Hera glanced at the radar though. A group of fighters were coming to engage. They were atmospheric design, unable to brave the vacuum of space. Regardless though, while the freighter was shifting into gear, they were taking potshots. These pilots probably had no idea why they were shooting at this shuttle apart from the fact that they were told to.

Hera wouldn't dare turn around and fire back. She did not want to harm these pilots even though they were trying to kill them. She felt the ship shudder as the Mobian freighter busted through the sound barrier. She then slammed down the throttle to activate the SCRAM jets. The speedometer jolted upwards as they blew towards the edge of space.

The fighters were keeping pace though. The military craft were fast. They dipped and dived over the craft, putting warning shots across their bow.

"They're trying to talk to us." Hera said, looking at the console. "Get that will you?"

Vennettilli tapped the controls. "Captain Vennettilli, go ahead."

"_This is Reaper Six-Seven! We are stationed off your port bow. Disengage engines and drop to fifteen thousand feet to await military escort to For Maijer airbase. Comply or we will fire. We have missiles Captain. Don't make this messy._"

Chris lifted up his visor and looked at Hera, who shook her head. She had her finger hovering above a button labeled AFTERBURNERS.

Vennettilli came back on the COM. "Gentlemen, we'd love to, but I'm afraid we have somewhere to be. I bid you farewell, and good luck keeping up."

As soon as he cut the COM, Abigail thumbed the afterburners. The already speeding Mach 25 shuttle got even faster. It was no longer a craft; it was a meteor. The interior of the craft started to stress as the speed tore at it. The jets couldn't hope to keep up. They just tried in vain to get missile locks on them. The air started to grow thin though, and they were forces to pull back.

"We've cleared the stratosphere!" Hera triumphantly declared. "We made it!"

Vennettilli looked around though.

"What's wrong?"

"We're only half-way there. We need to get to lunar orbit. That's going to be tough."

"Right, There's gotta be five percent of the UNSC Fleet around Mobius!"

"NICOLE, align to the Jumpgate and cut our engines. Adjust for the moon's orbit."

"_Working Captain…I've got it. I'm going to fire the engines one more time to give us a burst of speed._"

The craft rumbled as the engines lit up for a few minutes. Then there was silence.

"_Alright. Our speed is almost 300,000 KPH_._ ETA to Lunar Orbit is two hours, seventeen minutes. Can't guarantee that little burst went unnoticed_."

"That's OK, NICOLE." Chris said. "We just need to be on the right path."

* * *

Vice Admiral Gerome Andsworth felt the bags under his eyes. He was an old man, and not getting any younger. He ran three miles every day in the gym to keep in shape, and made sure that his heart was healthy. At 67 years old, he was almost 'mid-aged' for Human beings, yet he still felt tired. Maybe it was his job. He stood in command of the magnificent starship, _Indomitable_, one of the best ships in the UNSC fleet. The supercarrier had seen many tours of duty and he made sure that she was running ship-shape. He was enjoying one of his favourite things in the world, a well brewed cup of coffee with Columbian beans straight from Earth. Before the cup touched his lips, he heard the COM beep. He sighed in annoyance and tapped the button.

"Admiral Andsworth; go ahead."

"_Vice Admiral Andsworth, this is Howard Tudyk, civilian chairman for the Office of Naval Intelligence. We have an escaped convict that is running in a shuttle. He's heading for the Jumpgate!_"

This was what he was reduced to? Catching crooks who slipped through the fingers of justice? Pathetic.

"Details, Mister Tudyk. What's the problem?"

"_A High Value Target has just slipped past our defenses. A shuttle outran our jets and is running for it. We have a major leak in security regarding ONI!_"

"Why? Who's on the shuttle? Anybody I know per se?" He chuckled.

"_Captain Christopher James Vennettilli. I believe he was under your command?_"

Gerome swallowed. "Yes. He was. Are you suggesting that he's the source of the leak?"

"_We _know_ he's the source of the leak. Your orders are to destroy that ship and recover the body for immediate resuscitation._"

Andsworth's eyes darted around. "Alright. I'll give the order."

"_I want it done, Admiral. Blow it out of the sky!_"

"I understand."

"_Good. Tudyk out_."

The room went silent as the ship around the Admiral rumbled. He paced around his desk. He was a good serviceman and would follow his orders. That wasn't to say that he didn't feel a _bit_ of hesitation about this. Vennettilli had done a lot for him, but he was given an order from the top. He'd execute it, but not in its strictest sense. It was clear that ONI was testing him, to show his loyalty. He'd do his job, but not personally.

He walked to his desk. "Adriana?"

"_Yes Admiral?_"

"Contact the _Elijah Jones_ and the _Fairfax_."

"_Yes Admiral. Conference mode between Frigates 521 and 907 established. Awaiting handshake_."

"_This is Commander Wells. What can we do_?"

"_Commander Quaid. Yes, Admiral_?"

"Gentlemen, I have an assignment for you. ONI's highlighted a target that needs to be intercepted. A shuttle of Mobian design that's inbound to the Jumpgate. Your orders are to intercept and disable. Do NOT destroy the ship. Repeat, keep that ship intact, but hole her if you have to!"

"_Aye-aye, Admiral. _Fairfax_ moving to intercept_."

"_This is the _Elijah Jones_. Reading five by five._"

He glanced out the window of his study. Two frigates reflecting the sun accelerated towards the moon. He shouldn't show apprehension like this, but he knew something was wrong. It was damn near heresy to think anything about this, so he'd keep it to himself.

* * *

The _Elijah Jones_ and the _Fairfax _didn't specifically know where the freighter was, so they scanned for thermal emissions. Problem was, they were in the daylight side of Mobius, where heat from the sun would mess with the scanners. This was a good place for anyone to hide with cut engines.

"_Frigate 521, any sign_?"

"_This is the _Fairfax_, that is a negative_."

"_Can you say 'needle in a fucking haystack'_?"

The commander of the _Fairfax_ chuckled. "_Yeah. Happy hunting gentlemen_."

* * *

Hera made sure they were not deviating from their course. She confirmed with NICOLE about where they were. It was clear, they were still on the straight and narrow, approximately twenty minutes into their flight. There was more to go, but she was still nervous.

"Vennettilli, can you go make sure our ordinance is secure?"

"_Ordinance_? You have weapons on board?"

"I'm not flying without some teeth. Go check the ordinance."

"Aye-Aye, ma'am." Vennettilli unbuckled and propelled himself towards the back of the ship. There was no artificial gravity, meaning that he had to brace and launch for all of his movements around the ship. In the hold, there were some crates of ammunition, 110mm shells! Then he realized that there was a _gigantic fucking cannon_ in the middle of the cargo hold! This seemly docile shuttle was sporting a _howitzer_!

"Major, care to explain the 'teeth'?" he called to the cockpit.

"Yeah, beautiful isn't she? That's a Kaiser Mark 22 Heavy Barrage Cannon! Rounds are beautiful too! It's like if a bullet fucked a rocket; that's the product! If this baby intercepts anything larger than a dinner plate, it will cease to exist!"

The Marine grabbed a round and looked it over. If there was any gravity, he would have appreciated the weight. "Hope we never have to use it."

Suddenly, the hull creaked. He was propelled towards a bulkhead. Bracing himself, Chris used his heels to brake and grabbed a stanchion. "The _fuck_ was that?"

"_Micrometoroids_." NICOLE explained over the intercom. "_I didn't have time to see it. It was pretty small though; roughly the size of a golf ball. I'm happy the hull took the hit_."

"Yeah. Swell." The young main said, kicking off towards the cabin.

"_We have an issue though. That pebble knocked us off course._"

"A golf ball-sized rock."

"_You'd be surprised. Kinetic transfer will nudge the ship ever so slightly. Even from a glancing hit, we could potentially miss the jumpgate by several tens of thousands of kilometers._"

"_NICOLE. Assessment._" Hera ordered over the COM.

"_Major, I believe we have to fire our manoeuvring thrusters._"

"_That'll give us away_!"

The hull took another hit. Chris smacked his head off of a wall. He winced as he touched his temple. A tiny bubble of blood was in the air.

"_Took another hit; larger one this time; baseball-sized._"

"Where are these rocks coming from?"

"_Probably a meteor shower. Looks pretty on the ground, but up here it's deadly._" Hera explained. "_Aw hell, there's a dent in my wing…_"

He was back in the cockpit and strapped himself in.

"_Deviation 1%_." NICOLE reported. She popped up in holographic form. The Lynx had a string of data running across her body. "We're drifting farther off course. You know, we can just head to New Mars."

"Out of the question." The Captain said. "We need to go back to Sol.

"Alright, Sol it is then. Doesn't change the fact that we need to realign."

Chris looked to Abigail. "Major?"

Hera was deep in thought. She was massaging her temple. One of her ears twitched. "Do it; half a second burst. We just need to get back on track."

"Firing."

The freighter rumbled as they corrected themselves. It was so insignificant that it barely registered in vision. Ten seconds later, NICOLE fired the jets on the other end.

"Course corrected. We are back on track, guys." The AI said.

"Beautiful work." Chris admitted.

"You're making me blush, Captain. Well, I would if I had capillaries." NICOLE giggled. Her ears then stood straight as she stared into space. She was shocked.

"What?"

"We've been pinged." She said.

Abigail cursed. "By what?"

"A ship. Military!"

"Fuck!" the Major said. She tapped on the control pad. "They found us; I'm pushing the engines to two hundred percent. NICOLE, authorize engine overdrive."

"Working…confirmed. You have the Nos."

She opened the ship up. The small shuttle blasted to almost 600,000 KPH. The shattered moon started to grow in size fairly quickly. Behind them, two black shapes started to approach.

"_Frigate heavy 521, confirm acquisition of target._"

"_Frigate 907. Confirmed. Target is approximately 430K kilometers distant bearing one-five-seven by three-oh-oh vector two-two-niner by zero-five-niner, acknowledge_."

"_This is the _Jones_. Confirmed. Setting heading one-five-seven, three-oh-oh_."

"_Be advised, Patrol Group _Elijah Jones_, MAC rounds are _not_ authorized. You are to intercept and impound vessel, understood_."

"_This is the _Jones. Fairfax _also acknowledges._"

"_Command to PG _Elijah Jones_, 50mm ASPD rounds are authorized. Shoot to immobilize_."

NICOLE analyzed the radar. "Two targets appear to be heavy-classed frigates. FFG-521 _Elijah Jones_ and FFG-907 _Fairfax_ are converging on our position at flank speed."

"Can you do something about them?" Vennettilli asked.

"I'll see what I can do, Human."

Hera glanced out her window. "I don't see them, where are they?"

"Of course you don't see them. The two ships are closing and are approximately 150,000 kilometers distant and closing." NICOLE looked at the console. "They're hailing us. Looks like this is our only warning."

"_Captain Vennettilli, this is Commander Wells of the UNSC _Elijah Jones_. We are giving you one chance for you to surrender the ship and accompany us back to safety. We are armed and we will shoot if you try to run. We don't want to fish any bodies out of the sky today, Captain._"

"NICOLE?"

The AI nodded. "Messing with their guidance packages. They won't like this! OK! The _Fairfax_ and the _Jones_ are unable to fire!"

"Major! Punch it!"

The freighter's engines flared and pushed them towards the moon. Within 20 minutes, the two frigates were visible to the naked eye.

"They're gaining!" Chris reported.

"We'll give them a warning shot!" Hera said. She used the manoeuvring thrusters to spin the ship ninety degrees and depressurized the cargo hold. "Now we get to use this baby!"

The 100mm cannon extended out of the ship on the broadside.

"NICOLE account for minute drift." Hera said.

"Compensating; stand by."

"I can't believe you're actually doing this."

"It's just a warning shot." Abigail said.

"Shot out!" NICOLE reported.

The hull rumbled as the cannon report sent vibrations all throughout the ship. \

NICOLE crossed her arms "Time on target is six, five, four…WHAT THE _HELL_?"

"What?" Vennettilli asked nervously.

"The _Elijah Jones _has just maneuvered into the path of the shot!"

"No…"

A fiery wound appeared on the hull of the _Jones _near her starboard nacelle. She started to list from the force of the impact.

NICOLE was shocked. "Oh my God…Patching into their COM systems…"

"_—I say again, we have been hit! The ship has been holed! Some sort of rocket detonated in the engine room! Unconfirmed dead, but we have a reactor breach! I SAY AGAIN! REACTOR HAS BEEN B-"_

The _Elijah Jones_ then went critical. A nuclear fireball engulfed the frigate. When the dust cleared, only a few twirling pieces of battleplate remained. The rest was atomized in the blast. The _Fairfax_ then took evasive action, ensuring that another round wouldn't get sent their way.

* * *

"Oh my God." NICOLE repeated.

"Did…did _any_ lifeboats manage to clear the _Jones_?"

NICOLE shook her head. "Negative. The _Elijah Jones_ has gone down with all hands. I'm not reading any lifeboats in the vicinity."

Vennettilli had his hands behind his head. His breathing was heavy; he was fogging up his visor. "This can't be happening." He said. "This _cannot_ be happening."

"What's your issue?" Hera asked a little testily.

"We have just killed over two hundred people Major! Two hundred innocent Naval personnel!"

"That was NOT meant to be a kill shot!" She said hastily. "I…I didn't mean to!" She started to shake her head. "How? Why? They weren't going to take any damage! It's like they turned into it on purpose!"

"The _Fairfax_ is taking aim at us…!" NICOLE advised. "I'm taking over!"

Major Hera felt the controls leave her hands. The _Emerald Fox_ preformed a series of flips in the vacuum, but a red light appeared on the dashboard.

NICOLE had a hand to her head. "I've still got their guidance packages jammed but they're firing their PDWS systems at us!"

* * *

Thousands of kilometers away, an angered crew of the UNSC _Fairfax_ used every bullet-spewing gun on the hull of the ship to cut away at the _Emerald Fox_.

"Commander, that ship is beyond our range." The gunnery officer reported.

Commander Quaid scratched his scalp. He just couldn't get over the fact of what just happened. A freighter had fired on them and destroyed a UNSC frigate. This was no small task, but whatever that shuttle was carrying, it had some power to it, as it managed to breach the reactor of the ship. Quaid was nervous and wanted to keep his distance, but at the same time he knew he had to follow orders.

"Commander?" The officer asked. "Orders, sir?"

Quaid loosened the collar of his shirt. "What's the status on the 50mm Point Defense cannons?"

"Green sir." The officer reported.

"What's the estimated range on that freighter?"

"The _Emerald Fox _is 87,000 kilometers distant on vector two-two-seven by zero-three-zero."

Quaid calculated this, and tried not to think of Commander Wells' free-floating body, hopefully killed in the explosion.

"They're headed for the jumpgate." He concluded.

"Engines to 100%; Navigation, lock our heading on Lunar orbit."

"Aye aye, Commander." The officer said and tapped on the keyboard.

Quaid sat in his chair and watched his people go to work.

* * *

"Heads up, the _Fairfax_ is gaining speed!" NICOLE reported.

It was true. The frigate was approaching fast, and strings of fire were shooting from her hull.

"Watch this." The Mobian AI said. She spun the shuttle around and accelerated back towards the frigate.

"What are you doing?" Abigail asked shocked. "We're heading right for them!"

"Well aware of that, Major." The AI said deep in concentration.

Chris eyeballed the radar. "50,000 kilometers."

"Don't let me down, baby…" NICOLE cooed to the ship.

"25,000 kilometers! She's launching fighters!"

NICOLE pulled the stick up. The freighter angled so that she was upside down to the frigate. Firing the engines, she matched the speed gradually. At first the 400-meter vessel overtook them in a blur, but the _Emerald Fox_ caught up. Fighters were trying to get a fix, but the pilots couldn't match NICOLE's manoeuvres. She angled the ship broadside and blasted the engines in two lightning shots.

"Direct hits! The _Fairfax_ is dead in the water!"

The two fighters the frigate launched came in for the kill. The 110 mm cannons flashed in space. Rounds punctured the wings of the vessel.

"Don't let them trash my ship, NICOLE! Get us out of here!"

NICOLE gave the barest hint of annoyance before saying, "Alright. Breaking off from the _Faifax_. ETA to jumpgate is fifteen solid minutes."

Hera initiated the afterburners and set the freighter away. The fighters did not move to engage, possibly because they were called back. The _Fairfax_'s retro rockets flared to slow her down. She couldn't continue her pursuit. Their prey had gotten away.

"Wonderful work!" Chris said happily. "You did it!"

The AI's hologram bowed. "Happy to be of service!"

Chris' smile turned to a frown though.

"What's up?" the rabbit asked.

"I still can't believe what happened back there."

Abigail's eyes fell. "Captain, I can't explain it either, but we have to deal with the issue at hand. Yes, two hundred people died, but that was not by our conscious decision. The crew of the _Jones_ chose that for whatever reason and they paid for it dearly. Our priority is to get you to safety, Human!"

Chris nodded, his helmet wobbling slightly on his head. "You're right. We have work to do."

"Glad you think so. NICOLE, give me the stick."

"Yes, Major." She faded away and the controls were free.

"So, where do we go?" The Major asked.

"Does it matter? Anywhere but here or Earth."

"Again, where do we go? That's a whole civilization we're talking about. There's got to be somewhere we can hide out."

"We'll make a few random jumps. From there maybe I can find a place where we can lie low for a little while. ONI has agents everywhere though. We'd be idiots if we think we can hide from them forever."

"We'd be idiots not to try, Vennettilli."

He chuckled. "Good logic."

"It's what I do, Human."

"_Lunar Orbit achieved. Locking onto jumpgate_." NICOLE reported. "_I'm aligning us for maximum entry velocity_."

The shattered side of the moon showed the broken mantle, and the still bright core. Gravity was starting to pull the broken chunks of rock back into a beautiful ring. It wouldn't form for many decades, but the barest appearance of one was starting to take shape.

"This place could be really beautiful you know." Hera said.

"I know." Vennettilli said. "By the way, whatever did happen to this moon?"

"Some say it was an Overlander experiment. Not exactly sure what happened, but some say they were developing a weapon and decided to use the moon for target practice. The Chaos Emeralds were involved."

"I can see that." Chris agreed.

"I wasn't even born yet though. I had to rely on what I had heard through books and my parents. Even then, they didn't know about it."

"Your parents were removed from the happenings on Mobius?"

"Well my father was anyway. Not my mother. She was important. Had a government job." Hera's attention was drawn towards the gate, which was a flashing beacon in the distance. "They're trying to close it!"

"Hit it!" Chris said strapping in.

"With pleasure!" She engaged the afterburners and cut through space. This was the fastest they had gone. The lunar surface was a grey-white blur. Hera was struggling to keep consciousness. Her breath in her mask was loud, and her ears were nearly perpendicular to her head.

"_We're a hundred kilometers from the aperture_!" NICOLE said. "Arriving in ten seconds!"

The patrolling craft tried to fire off shots, but it proved as useful as hitting a bullet in mid-flight. The _Emerald Fox_ careened past them and into the gate and across universes. A minute later, the portal was closed.

They were safe for now.

* * *

**A/N: There we go! Hope this chapter was alright. Very rarely do I put a chapter in that entirely focuses around space combat. I hope that it was fairly decent. We're getting really into trouble now. A frigate down, and no reason why it steered right into certain doom? Another mystery on top of things. Hopefully things will start to work out on the other side.**

**Also, I do know what really happened to the moon, but this isn't the regular Sonic universe. It's somewhere in between. **


	6. Chapter 6: Contractors

Chapter 6: Contractors  
May 11th, 3239, 0054 hours  
Lunar Orbit  
Earth

The jumpgate sparked blue as electricity coursed through the structure. Teams of ships waited for the new arrival. A small freighter broke through the aperture trailing smoke.

At once, emergency craft came to the aid of the shuttle.

"_Freighter Juliet Niner Six-Two. What is your status, over?_"

"_This is Major Abigail Hera of the Mobian Royal Air Force. We've been hit and we are trailing smoke._"

"_Major Hera, this is Captain Ross Stalwart, Emergency Response Team. We're en route to pick you up. What happened?_"

"_We were attacked. Unknown forces hit us hard. The rest of our flight didn't make it out._"

"_COM blackout_?"

"_Confirmed. Yes, the gate's closed on the other side._"

"_Shit. OK Major, we're going to tow you to Harken Station for immediate repairs._"

"_Thank you very much._"

Hera took her helmet off and smoothed her hair. "I think they bought it."

Chris crossed his arms. "They better have bought it. Those were more guns pointed at me there than on any battlefield I've ever been on."

"Sometimes it pays to be a pilot. We don't have to worry about getting shot or stabbed."

"Yeah?" The Human asked. "What about this?" He flicked the window; his finger made a _clink_ on it. "What happens if this goes? How long can you hold your breath for, Guybrush?"

"Excuse me?"

"Look, we're servicemen. You don't take offense to that title?"

"Hey, we make a pay check."

"Alright. We're evenly matched, you and I. I just prefer being in an atmosphere that I can survive in."

NICOLE popped up. "People, the _Kellion_ is two kilometers distant. You can see her off the starboard bow. She's launching tethers."

Three cables shot from the _Kellion _and grappled the hull of the wounded ship. The cables semi-solidified to avoid the 'crack of the whip' as it was known. The _Kellion_ went full power and pulled the _Emerald Fox_ with her. Over an hour later, the shuttle was under repairs. Chris and Hera were standing inside the flight lounge of the Harken station. Hera was dressed in her military uniform. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and she unbuttoned down to where the neck met the chest.

Chris discarded his torn military jacket and wore a black T-shirt over his grey cotton pants.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Good. They're making some good time on the repairs."

"Yeah, well the better speed it up." Chris said with an air of uncertainty.

"Why?"

"Because I don't think Tudyk's going to be very happy that we slipped past his watchdogs. Hey, would you like a coffee? I think we're going to need a couple while we think of a plan. We'll need every second we can get."

"Sure. I'd love a coffee right about now."

* * *

Tudyk slammed his fist on the table. His antique clock bounced. "YOU LET THEM GET AWAY?"

Commander Jules Quaid stood uncertainly with his cap in his hands. A trickle of sweat came from his brow.

"Let me see if I understand this…" The civilian head of ONI said. "You…had…" he struggled to form the figures with his fingers "TWO frigates against ONE freighter! Not only does he evade your capture, but he DESTROYS A FRIGATE IN ONE SHOT? ONE FUCKING SHOT?"

"Sir, they had a weapon aboard that vessel that I was not aware of. If we had known that this was there, Commander Wells and I would—"

"There is NO excuse for what happened! Your negligence caused two hundred men and women to die, and their blood is on your hands and that of the late Commander Wells. Were it up to me, I would see you SHOT!"

Quaid gulped, but kept his composure.

"However…" Tudyk said, pouring himself a glass of alcohol. "…there is nothing we can do about it, and punishing you wouldn't solve anything. You were simply following orders…orders…" the man sunk deep into thought.

"Sir…?" Quaid asked. "Are you alright?"

"Get me Gerome Andsworth. GET HIM TO ME NOW!"

Quaid saluted and turned on his heel. The Commander exited the room. Tudyk spun in his chair and looked out the window. President Marshall saw to it that he was to look over the ONI facilities on Mobius while the Admiralty looked after things on Earth. His office was perched within the ONI building facing the castle. He would have contacted the President immediately following the botched capture and informed him of the escape and the loss of the _Elijah_ _Jones_, but the _morons_ in charge of policing the jumpgate closed it down in an effort to stop Vennettilli. No communications could travel through the gate and it would take roughly seven hours before the particle accelerators could be spun up again.

The doors behind him opened after what seemed like hours of contemplation.

"Vice Admiral Gerome Andsworth reporting as ordered, sir."

Tudyk adjusted his glasses, straightened his tie and turned around. "Admiral Andsworth. So nice of you to join me. Sit down, please."

Andsworth nodded and sat down. "You wanted to see me, Mister Tudyk?"

"Yes I did, Gerome." He tapped a file on the table. "Do you remember when I asked you to intercept that freighter carrying the criminal, Captain Vennettilli?"

"Yes. I recall that I sent the UNSC _Elijah Jones _and the _Fairfax _after it."

"Indeed you did, which was within your jurisdiction, but I would like to share with you the after action report."

He opened the file and let Gerome read it. Tudyk watched behind thick glasses as Andsworth's eyes got wider on each line.

"This can't be real. There's no way a freighter could do this!"

"Indeed, Admiral. The _Elijah Jones _was destroyed completely, and the _Fairfax_ was heavily damaged in several places along the hull." Tudyk paused for effect. "A whole fighter wing was also obliterated in the assault, which we are still determining how a freighter could have accomplished this."

"Vennettilli's a soldier. He would never betray his men. He wouldn't kill them. Marines have a code of honor."

"Codes can be broken, Admiral. All one needs is a cypher, and someone who is willing to break it."

"So you're really serious about this. You really think he can be an issue."

"Yes Admiral, which brings me to you."

"Me…?"

"Were you in command of the UNSC _Indomitable _at the time I gave you your orders?"

"Yes."

"Were you in an optimal position to move?"

"Yes."

"Why did you no execute when I ordered you to?"

"It was not effective in the short term to have a supercarrier engage-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU MOBILIZE, ANDSWORTH?"

The Admiral's jaw clenched and a fire of defiance raged in his experienced eyes. "I report to the Navy. Not to you…_sir_."

That caught Tudyk by surprise who leaned back in his chair and stroked whatever hair he had left. He composed himself though and was all business. "Effective immediately, you are no longer the commanding officer of the _Indomitable_. You will be reassigned by May 23rd to another ship. Dismissed Admiral. Have a good day."

That was when Gerome Andsworth's heart broke. The _Indomitable_ was his life. His pride and joy. He loved that ship and she loved him back. Through countless times that supercarrier saw him through. It was the ship that made him famous and he thought he would be her captain, right up until the very end when he went down with her. Now he had to leave it all behind. He said nothing though and rose.

"Thank you sir." He said quietly and left. There was someone important he had to see now.

* * *

The two sat around a small table of a coffee-shop. The aroma of fresh beans filtered through the area. Chris sighed happily as he sipped his drink. "Best thing I've tasted in days. What's this thing again?"

Abigail's head cocked. "Uh, Santos Delight."

"It's good. Can't believe this stuff was grown on Earth."

"Believe it. Personally I prefer the basic Arabica, but I'm willing to change every now and then. This here," she said pointing to her cup, "is Jamacian Blue Mountain; _extremely_ popular on Mobius. Aparently, it's the same on Earth." She took a deep sip. "Ah! That's good java."

Chris set his cup aside. "OK. We need to make a formal plan."

"I agree. I grabbed a map of the closest 100 stars from a brochure stand."

She spread the map out. Each point of light was a star system with information on it.

Chris leaned in. "OK, we're in the Sol system right now. Logically we have three systems closeby that we can hide in: Alpha Centauri, Barnard's Star and Wolf 359. We have to rule these out."

"Agreed. They would check these places first." Hera said. "We have to further."

"20 LY mark…" Chris said, going to the second circle on the map. "Xi Bootis?"

"No…UNSC presence there."

"OK…Alpha Lyrae?"

"No. There's a prison there actually."

"Awkward." Chris said. "OK. We're pushing the 30 LY mark."

"Listen, forget the 30 Lightyears! We need to go somewhere dead. Somewhere they won't find us. I know you. I know that there's one place that we can go where no-one would think to look for you; it's a place you know well."

Her finger hovered over a star fairly close by: 'Eta Cassiopeiae'

"Eta Cass?" Chris thought, but his eyes went wide. "Talahan…"

"Your first real deployment. You lost friends here and made yourself what you are today. This place is a graveyard though, practically hallowed. You go here, I guarantee you that nobody will follow."

Chris bit his lip. He knew what was waiting on Talahan, but the jungle would keep them safe for a time. "Alright, let's do it."

"_Breaking news today: A UNSC frigate was destroyed while on patrol_."

"Oh God. Stay down."

"_Earlier today, the UNSC _Elijah Jones_ suffered a fatal core breach. The full complement of 200 personnel was said to have died instantly, there are no known survivors. The reason of which was direct contact with a freighter called the _Emerald Fox_ flown by renegade ex-UNSC Marine Christopher James Vennettilli_."

A photo of Chris in an after-action report with cuts and bruises on his face faded into the screen. The reporter shuffled his papers. "_Vennettilli evaded UNSC capture earlier today and is currently hiding somewhere within Earth orbit. He is credited for destruction of government property, theft of a spacecraft, murder in the first degree, and destruction of a UNSC frigate. If you encounter this man, do not attempt to confront him. He is considered armed and dangerous. Contact your nearest law enforcement center for apprehension._"

"Hey…!"

Chris forced his head lower to the table. The cashier behind the counter looked shocked.

"You're that _guy_!"

"Listen pal, you've got me confused for someone else."

"Oh shit! Oh shit!" the cashier picked up a phone and dialled an emergency number.

"Put down the phone!" Chris said jumping up, pistol at arm's length.

"Captain!" Hera yelled.

"Put down the phone or I will shoot!"

The man froze with tears of fear in his eyes. "Don't kill me!"

"I won't hurt you. Just put the phone down…"

"HELP! HELP! HE HAS A GUN!"

"Oh _FUCK!_" Chris cursed. He walked behind the counter towards the frightened man. Before he could call out again, Chris landed a heel kick to the man's head; he fell over unconscious.

"You just attacked him!" Hera said shocked.

"He was calling for help! Our cover's blown! COM unit!"

Hera handed the earpiece over to Vennettilli. "NICOLE!"

"_Here, Chris_."

"What's the status of repairs?"

"_We're fixed up! Ready to leave when you are._"

"That's _now_!"

"_I don't understand_…"

"Our cover's gone. A civvie yelled for help!"

"_Oh dear…_"

"Yeah."

"_OK, pre-warming the engines_!"

Chris handed the COM unit back to the Mobian major.

"Which way was it back to the docking arm?" Abigail asked.

"Left!" Chris answered.

As soon as they turned, a duo of armed guards confronted them with heavy weapons.

"FREEZE!" One of them yelled.

Chris did the only thing he could think of, which was firing off rounds at the guards in order to scatter them. Three bullets to the wall made them fall back; enough to give the captain and his friend the break they needed.

"GET TO THAT SHIP!"

* * *

The night was calm around Castle Acorn. Most nights on Mobius were calm but this one was special: there were very little military craft around the area. It was as if the place was dead.

This made Sally Alicia Acorn nervous. She wasn't used to this kind of quiet after years of fighting. She was used to the heavy machinery and jets firing around her. To take it all away was unsettling. She didn't have NICOLE to share it with, but Bunnie was around.

Bunnie Rabbot was Sally's best friend. Ever since they were children they had hung around one another. Bunnie's 'accident' in which her right arm and legs were replaced by robotic prosthetics wouldn't change things though. They loved each other and would stay with each other until the end if need be. Sonic was also around, Amy in tow.

They were seated in a recreation room of the castle, which was surprisingly vacant. A few Humans were playing a video game in the corner and were getting pretty rowdy about it. Sally chuckled. Boys and toys…

"Have you noticed how quiet it was around here lately?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah." Sally responded. "The UNSC's been taking some forces away from the castle.

"I hear ONI ordered it." The hedgehog offered.

"I heard that too." The princess said, acknowledging the claim. "Doesn't make sense."

"They're looking for Christopher." Bunnie reasoned. "Think shugah; the Navy's put ships through the gate, and there aren't as many soldiers on the ground. Those guys over there are the few I've seen."

"Do they really _want_ him that bad?"

"_Breaking News Today: a UNSC frigate was destroyed while on patrol!_"

"Oh! Those poor people!" Amy said, shocked."

The group watched the report on the television and expressed disbelief on how a shuttle could destroy a warship. It wasn't until Chris' face popped on screen that Sonic nearly choked on his drink.

"What the FUCK?"

"Oh my God!" Amy screeched.

"Oh my Stars!" Bunnie cried.

Sally just stared at the screen. The _Elijah Jones_ exploded in a fireball, which rocked the cameras on the _Fairfax_.

"No…"

She shook her head, unable to see what was happening, but at the same time she knew it was true. "No, no, NO!" She grabbed her hair and nearly screamed.

"Sally!" Sonic said coming to her side. "He wouldn't…he couldn't!"

"I don't want to believe that Sonic!" Sally said shaking. "He's not cold-hearted!"

"_Along with the destruction of the _Elijah Jones, _the frigate _Fairfax_ received heavy damage including breaches along the starboard hull. Twenty five crew members died and fifty have serious injuries. A fighter wing engaged the _Emerald Fox_, but three of the six fighters guarding the ship were destroyed_."

"What's gotten into him?" Bunnie asked. "He's a soldier, not a traitor!"

"Something wrong's going on around here." Sonic said.

"I agree."

The group wheeled around to see Andsworth standing in the doorway. They all stood at once. The Humans playing the game in the corner fumbled and then stood to attention.

"Spare me the formalities. Right now I feel like shit and I need some people to talk to that I trust." He looked around. "Jesus this is nice. Is this a rec room?"

"Uh-huh." Sally said, surprised.

"Is that a Blue Light?"

"Yes." Sonic said, equally astounded.

"Get me two of those." The Admiral said.

Sonic, unsure on what he was hearing, got up and grabbed Andsworth the alcohol.

"What's going on, Admiral?" Sally asked.

Andsworth sighed sadly and took a sip of beer. "I lost her."

"What?" Amy asked confused.

"I lost the _Indomitable_."

There was silence. The Mobians had respect for Gerome Andsworth and the ship he helmed. To lose such a symbol of greatness was staggering, debilitating even.

"How?" Sally asked.

"Can't talk about it." He responded.

"Are you going to _do_ anything?"

"What's to do? ONI signed it and the President stamped it. I'm out of the driver's seat and into some dingy station around some backwater star. Helluva thank you for the years I put in."

"Did you see the news sir?" The princess asked.

"I did. It's a shame to see that the _Jones_ didn't come back. I mean, I've had to make tough choices like these before, but this was not intended to be a bloodbath."

He took another sip of beer and smiled.

"You know what the funny thing is though?"

"What?" Bunnie asked.

"Vennettilli can't fly." He looked around for the effect. "Oh, don't tell me you haven't noticed, right?"

Sally's eyebrows arched. "He's right! The only time I've _ever_ seen Chris take the stick was when he was taking Tails up in a Longsword 5 years ago, and even then, the autopilot was on!"

Andsworth added, "The man isn't even licensed for a skycar. Now, ask yourselves: is a person who can't even fly a plane capable of _that_?

There was a chorus of shoulder shrugging. It was logical.

"So what does that mean?" Amy asked. "If he wasn't capable of doing this…then who was?"

Sally answered that in an even voice. "I think the answer's obvious: the man has an accomplice."

* * *

"GET THE HATCH OPEN!" Chris yelled.

"I'M TRYING!" Hera screamed.

Both of them were trying to open the gate leading to the _Emerald Fox_. The docking arm was just beyond here, but the damn thing was stuck. Chris was running low on ammo for his borrowed pistol. He holstered it and decided to take one of them on with his fists. He hid behind a packing crate and snuck around it. A fairly stupid guard was standing with his back to him. Chris slung his hands around the guard's neck and choked him into unconsciousness. Chris grabbed the Dyson SMGs that they had on them and went to engage the other guards. Chris shot two in the knees, one in the arm, and another in the foot; all of them intentionally aimed to take them out of commission. While they were writing in pain, he closed the door manually and sealed it by jamming a crowbar through the handles.

"That'll buy us some time."

"Good. I think I have the lock beat." Hera reported. Chris got below her and pushed with all his strength. The hatch started to move from the combined manpower. Five minutes later, the crack was large enough to pass through while sucking it in. They were practically laughing while on the way to the _Emerald Fox_.

"We did it!" Chris said amazed.

"Yeah, I know right? I didn't think we'd have a chance there!"

Vennettilli passed a Dyson to Hera. "Nice piece." She said.

"There, picked that up for you. It's pretty accurate and has decent stopping power." He tapped the COM set. "Open up honey, we're home!"

"_Copy. Come on in sweetheart_."

The hatch of the ship cycled open. Metallic air rushed to greet them. They got to the cockpit fairly quickly and strapped themselves in. The Mobian tapped controls while slipping on her helmet and breath mask. "NICOLE, test-fire engines."

The hull rumbled and green lights winked on across the board. "Test fire complete." NICOLE said appearing. "Showing green across the board! Wait one; Engine 2 is reporting some minor fuel blockages. I'm going to see if I can purge it."

"OK, do what you can. Captain, what's the status of the docking claw?"

Chris scrolled through the commands until he saw the docking arm. "It's not disengaging!" He said. "It's not letting go!"

Hera cursed. "OK. We can't blow it off. Captain, there's a plasma torch in an emergency kit behind me and a space suit in the airlock. I need you to get out there and cut that claw loose!"

"You want me to spacewalk?"

"That's the plan!"

"I can't get out there! They're going to be calling ships! And what if I fall off?"

"There's a length of cable in the cargo hold. Tie it around your ankle as a lifeline. I promise that I won't fire the engines until you get back in, unless of course, you want to fly out of here."

Chris scowled. "Where's the fucking spacesuit?"

'Spacesuit' was a bit of a misnomer; the proper term in this case would be 'body-glove'. Chris cursed when he saw it. It was made of a latex-Kevlar material with pockets, a helmet, and small micro-jets on the back. It was a one-piece too. Not wanting to strip, he struggled to put the suit over his clothes. He ditched his boots though which wasn't so bad. Vennettilli could have _sworn_ that this was a women's suit. The helmet went on and he grabbed the lifeline.

The inside of the airlock was not dissimilar to the one that was connected to the Harken Station. He tied the cable around his right angle and the other on a handhold. "NICOLE, I'm past the Inner door."

The Lynx's hologram appeared on the inside of his helmet. "_Copy that Captain. Closing Inner Door._"

He heard the door slide shut.

"Depressurizing airlock. Please wait."

Pumps worked to take all the air out. Soon, there was nothing but his deep breathing.

"_Cycling Outer Door._" NICOLE said. The airlock opened to space. Chris took a few steps and let his magnetized boots grip the hull. He didn't have to worry about coming up short for the cable as he had nearly half a mile of it on a reel around his shoulder.

"I'm on the hull."

"_OK, I can see you on the port wing. Look at the cockpit and wave._"

He turned and saw a Mobian rabbit waving her hand at him. He waved back.

"_Excellent. Now, the claw's on the starboard side of the ship. You're going to have to come over the top of my position and cut us loose._"

His motion was sluggish. He hated being in space, especially in a fragile spacesuit such as this. He had nightmares of floating off into the dark and eventually dying from the cold or running out of air. At least the latter felt like going to sleep. He was moving like the Elephant Man, but he was getting there.

"OK, I'm over the cabin."

Hera came to the window and looked up. "_Yup, I see you_. _Can you see the claw_?"

"Yeah." Chris said. Four claws had gently grabbed the hull of the ship. He hypothesized that it he was to cut two of the upper fingers, the claw would be unable to hold the ship. Nevertheless he confirmed with NICOLE.

"_Seems like it should. Just make it quick. The guards have a battering ram at the door. They've taken a faux ionic column to it. Fascinating_."

The Captain was at the arm. He took the torch he got and lit it. A jet of plasma spat out of torch. Chris polarized his visor as a makeshift blast mask. He carefully ensured that the hot plasma was cutting through the metal. Sparks shot off into space where the fizzled. His attention though was on the claws. Before he knew it, one was severed. A few minutes later, the other was free.

"OK, I got it!" He said smiling. Turning, he started a bit of a run, no doubt in his haste to leave this station, but he tripped over a thruster heading. He screamed as he went overboard. For a brief second, he was living his worst nightmare. His momentum carried him away from the hull. He gripped for the cable, but it wasn't there. The reel had fallen from his shoulder. He started to panic; looking for the cable. Suddenly, he saw it. He reached, but found that it was just out of his touch. He panicked even more and urged his body to move, but he couldn't in hard vacuum. He willed with all his might until his middle finger caught on. He yanked it towards him but it was smooth. It took a tenth of a mile before he was able to slow down.

"_Captain! Respond!_"

Chris struggled to get his bearings. He was unable to move, and his only lifeline was this cable.

"_I'm coming to help!_"

"No! You're going to crack the whip!"

"_Fucking…Wait, you have a T-pack on, right?_"

"I…I think so!"

"_OK, the controls are on your hand. There's a micro joystick in both palms. Left controls general movement in six directions, right controls pitch_!" NICOLE said. She even highlighted the positions on a picture of the suit.

Chris struggled to keep his composure and extended the joysticks. He remembered what NICOLE said. Left controls movement. With his right hand, he grabbed the cable. With his left, he eased forward. The pack fired in singular, micro bursts. This gave him a surprising amount of speed. Absent-mindedly, he looked "down" and saw Earth staring right back. It looked so beautiful.

He positioned himself so that he was "up" relative to the airlock. When he needed to switch pitch and movement, he quickly swapped hands and held on tight. Ten minutes later, he was on the steps of the airlock.

He nearly collapsed on the floor. "I'm in! Pressurize!" he cried. He was rewarded with the hissing of precious air in his ears. He took off his helmet and breathed the air. It never tasted so good.

Abigail gunned the retro engines; putting the shuttle in 'reverse'. The weakened claw broke from the shuttle. They were on the move.

"Fuck yeah, baby!" She said in triumph! "_Adios, muchachos!_"

The _Emerald Fox _twirled in space Chris propelled himself towards the cockpit and sat down. "OK. What's the plan?"

"We're going to slingshot around Earth to give us some momentum for our slipspace jump." NICOLE said

"Why not the moon?" Chris asked hooking his mask up.

"Um, good idea, wrong orbit. You see, unlike in the Mobius universe, our lunar orbits are not synched for some reason unlike the days. Luna is on the other side of Earth right now."

"All the reasoning I need. Go, Major!"

The _Emerald Fox_ blasted forwards. Twice they received warnings that their entry speed was well above the legal level. Hera ignored both of them and proceeded to establish a slingshot orbit. This attracted the border patrol, which sent corvettes after them. The _Fox_ was not willing to slow down though.

This was the closest to unconsciousness that Hera had ever been. Her vision was nearly gone and her fingers were numb. NICOLE was basically piloting the ship now. They were so close to the surface that they were just grazing the atmosphere while travelling nearly a hundred thousand miles per hour. To careful onlookers on the ground, it would have seemed that a fireball was coasting across the sky.

"Twenty second to terminal point!" NICOLE said.

Vennettilli groaned in pain. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS MUCH LONGER!"

Hera had finally passed out and lay strewn across her chair.

Somewhere over Eastern Europe, the _Emerald Fox_ pulled from orbit and through the defense grid without them even being able to track them; the corvettes had abandoned their chase somewhere around the Caribbean Islands.

"Hang on, Chris! Pulling out now!"

With gravity-assisted speed, the freighter was flung out of orbit and towards open space. As soon as they were within the L3 Lagrange point, NICOLE fired the Slipspace engines. Particle accelerators opened a rip in space-time; the _Emerald Fox_ coasted in, and disappeared from the visible universe.

* * *

Once inside, Chris woke Hera up.

"Did we make it?"

"Yeah. We made it."

He tried to help Hera stand, but it was clear that she was lightheaded. "Sorry, guess I dozed off."

"Understandable. NICOLE, how many Gees were we pulling?"

"_Please understand that our Inertial Dampers were operational at the time, but the slingshot overpowered it. We were pulling close to 22 G._"

"Wow." Chris said, astounded. We were just in a shuttle!"

"I know." Hera said. "We're in Slipspace?"

"Safe and sound." Chris reported, beckoning to the blackness outside. "They won't be following us now."

He heard a gun cock. Chris brought his Dyson up. "Who's there?"

He made sure he slipped on magnetic boots so he could walk through the cabin. "Show yourself or I _will shoot_!"

Nothing.

Whoever was on-board was playing with him. He also knew that they were armed…or were they? Did an ONI agent sneak aboard or something like that? Was it an assassin?

"Final warning! Show yourselves—ugh!"

Someone grabbed him from behind and yanked the Dyson from his hand. Chris kicked a set of tools over which brought Hera into the action with her own submachine gun. "Freeze!"

She was pointing at a human and a Mobian, both of them dressed in dark clothing and backpacks; infiltration suits. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The Human spoke first. "Don't do anything you're going to regret. This is a misunderstanding."

"Let him go!" Hera demanded.

The Mobian raised a pistol. "Stay back!" She ordered. She bared her teeth and growled.

"Sam, calm down!" The human said. "OK, I'm letting him go." He took his arm away from Chris, but as soon as he did that, the Marine gut-punched him.

The Human doubled over on the ground and the female fox grappled onto the Captain. "Get your hands off me!" he demanded.

"You want to shorten your own life, keep struggling!" She growled. "We're here to help you!"

"Bullshit!" the Captain said. "You snuck aboard my ship with weapons!"

"Sam, let him go."

"He's going to punch me, Allen. Don't make me do it!"

Allen was up against the wall rubbing his stomach. "Let him go and we'll explain why we're here alright?"

"Sam looked Vennettilli over and took her hands off him. "It's only because I respect what you've done, Human."

Major Hera was the first to say it, "Who are you and what the hell are you doing on our ship?"

"Allen Roan and Samantha Jackson, Vanguard Private Military Corporation; we were sent to find you."

"So I have a bounty on my head."

"Not exactly." Jackson admitted. "We're not here to bring you in. We're here to help."


	7. Chapter 7: The Grave I Missed So

Chapter 7: The Grave I Missed So…  
May 11th, 3239, 0345 hours (local extrapolation)  
Slipspace Transition  
RAF Cargo Shuttle _Emerald Fox_

"What's Vanguard?" Vennettilli asked.

"We already said. We're a private military corporation that does a number of jobs such as espionage, research, and the occasional wet-work." Samantha Jackson said. "We're also a publically traded corporation."

Roan came in, "Specifically we were contacted by the Office of Naval Intelligence to send agents to hunt you down. CEO Gustaff considered it, but eventually discarded the offer."

"Why?" Hera asked. "There's a sizable bounty on his head now." She hooked her thumb to indicate Chris.

Roan folded his arms. "CEO Gustaff didn't like it, said that there was too much cloak and dagger warfare going on, and decided to send us to make sure that nobody compromises you."

"What, would you say that he cares?" Chris asked.

Allen shrugged. "Don't know if 'care' would be the right word to use here, but he can definitely use you."

"Whoa, use me?" The Captain said with his hand up defensively. "What do you mean 'use me'?"

Roan said, "I understand that sounds ambiguous. Let me explain," He drew some files from his backpack. "I brought these along in case you were apprehensive. Looks like they came in handy, huh?"

"Give me the files."

"Alright." Roan said nodding. He opened it; on the front was a picture of a smiling man with a neat goatee. "Know who that is?"

"President Troy Marshall." Chris said.

"Right." Roan nodded. "You also know who the man in the picture behind him is?"

"Yes, President John Cleary. He died not too long ago, accident or something."

"Are you sure?"

Hera and Chris looked up at Roan. Jackson folded her arms and laughed.

"I love that look!" She said chuckling.

"Sorry?"

"Captain, after all the events that have happened to you, are you _honestly_ going to believe that a simple 'accident' was able to claim the life of the most powerful man in Human space?"

Chris shrugged. "I mean, these things to happen with miscalculations and everything."

"Hmm." Roan said. "I wasn't expecting you to say that, but I have something to change your mind." He pulled out a box the size of a brick. "Know what this is?"

"It's a black box." Hera said. "A Flight Data Recorder. Most craft carry around three to five in order to gather information on everything that happened before a crash or before the ship was destroyed. "

"Right." Roan said. "But you might want to see this first. This FDR doesn't belong to the President's starliner. This is the Data Recorder to the CSS _Starskimmer_, a cruise-liner that was decommissioned roughly fifty years ago. It was around the same size as the President's craft."

"Point being?" Chris asked.

"Watch." Samantha said. "Mind if we hook this up to a computer?"

"Go right ahead." Hera said, not really knowing what to expect."

The Private Soldier hooked up a wireless link between the FDR and a computer. On the sceen, it appeared that they were on a wing.

"Yes, this camera happened to be on the wing of the _Starskimmer_." Allen explained. "Keep your eyes peeled. We're focusing on this…"

The _Starskimmer_ emerged from slipspace into a dense asteroid field. Rocks started immediately pounding the ship. Vibrations shook the camera and the hull stressed. One rock punched through the hull, but no plume of atmosphere shot out, meaning the ship was already vented.

"Alright, keep your eye on this rock here!" Samantha said, pointing to an asteroid shaped somewhat like a cashew.

The _Starskimmer_ took another hit as a rock flew into her wing. Debris rocketed outwards. After repeated hits from the asteroids, a kilometer-wide metalloid smashed into the cruiser and the camera shut down. The entire ordeal took around ten minutes.

"Notice anything weird about what you just saw?" Roan said.

"No." Vennettilli and Hera said.

"I'm going to rewind…" Roan said. He moved the video back to just before the big rock hit. When the camera cut out, he asked, "Did you see it?"

"See what?"

"One more time…Watch that big crater…"

Roan slowed the video down so that the cosmic stone inched forward.

"Look at that crater lip, near the shadow side!"

They saw it. It was a blue jet, visible for nearly half a second, then it disappeared.

"Is that…a thruster?"

"A Boeing Nero 813 Ion Thrust Vectoring Device to be precise."

Hera said it before Chris did. "So the asteroids were directed into the _Starskimmer_."

"Exactly. Just so happens I have a second Flight Data Recorder in my backpack." Jackson said reaching into her duffel. Another slightly damaged box was in her hand.

While she was scanning for a signal, she explained, "This camera's a 360 degree dome that was on the dorsal hull of the President's ship. It caught the entire barrage. Now, I know you aren't a fan of seeing people die, so I'm going to cut the film just before the rock hits."

She started the recording. The diplomatic craft was in slipspace. The pilots were talking, but she muted the noise. No distractions. A bright flash nearly blinded them as they transitioned into the normal universe deep within an asteroid field. The sound wave indicator on the bottom of the screen indicated that the pilots were surprised.

The message didn't quite sink in until they saw the kilometer-long cashew-shaped rock floating in the distance. Instantly, they started to accelerate towards the craft. There were dozens, no, hundreds of rocks ranging from the size of baseballs to the size of houses. All of them had the ghostly lines of ion thrusters on them. True to her word, Jackson killed the feed before anything larger than a pebble hit.

Chris felt terrible. It wasn't a quick way to die and was probably very painful. He swallowed the lump that was in his throat and spoke up. "So this wasn't an accident. It was an assassination."

"Correct." Roan confirmed. "Whoever did it had the time, patience, and money to preform it. These thrusters aren't cheap, easily costing more than a luxury car each. Don't even ask how much a decommissioned passenger liner was."

"We can't just point fingers at every multi-millionaire in the galaxy though. That'll take too long." Hera stated.

"Right." Roan agreed, "Not even counting the underworld though. Cleary had some pockets of strong opposition to his policies and even the signing of Mobians into the United Nations Allied Coalition."

"Pardon?" Chris said raising a finger.

The group looked to him. "Yeah?" Samantha asked.

"Not that talk about a presidential assassination conspiracy isn't mentally exercising or intriguing, but how does this lead to people chasing after me?"

The Mobian fox jumped to. "Hang on, Captain. I may have an explanation."

"You do?" Chris asked.

"You do?" Allan asked,

"Yeah. When I was a kid they told us stories about Chaos Emeralds. Some of the older people in my town said that when a person came in close contact with the Chaos Emeralds, they were given secrets to hold. The Emeralds trust them and thus, give up their deepest, darkest information."

"Wait, these rocks 'trust' me?"

Samantha nodded. "Yes! The Chaos Emeralds are extraterrestrial in origin. Some people believe that there are life-forms within the Emeralds, especially the Master Emerald."

"…Well, I've heard weirder." The Captain said. "What's this creature?"

"We called him Chaos, God of Destruction."

"That name seems odd with that epithet." Hera said.

"Shut up, we didn't pick it." Jackson growled.

Chris' eyes darted back and forth. "So…I actually _do_ have something in my head."

"Correct, but you can't access it."

"I'm being hunted for a legitimate _reason_ now?"

"Aside from being a murderer, yes."

"Fuck you; I didn't kill those people!"

Samantha got close to Chris and looked deep into his eyes. "Listen to me carefully. You already made headlines back on Mobius as an escapee, government criminal and destroying a whole spaceship! It doesn't matter that Major Hera is involved, you've already been named."

"You know a lot about us." NICOLE said. "Were you the ones that activated the jamming signal?"

Allen looked confused. "The hell you talking about?"

"When we were escaping from Mobius, I detected a military strength jamming signal coming from somewhere I couldn't place. I've since turned off the Captain's transponders but…?"

"No. We weren't even near Mobius. We boarded your ship while you were docked with the Harken Station."

NICOLE crossed her arms. "Hmm…that's one mystery that's still unsolved."

* * *

Roan and Jackson were told to make themselves comfortable. While they were setting up beds, Abigail called Chris into the cockpit. NICOLE locked the hatchway so that they could speak in private.

"Captain, do you think this is odd at all?"

"What do you mean?"

Hera shrugged. "I'm not sure I can trust them. We know _nothing_ about them and they expect us to give them full run of the ship? They could be feeding information to ONI right now."

"I don't think so." The Human said. "If they did, ONI would be here in minutes."

"This is just a hunch though."

Chris shrugged. "Maybe, but I have a good feeling."

"Captain…"

"Major, this is not about rank. This is about trust, and right about now, I trust these two. They basically revealed that Cleary's death was an assassination."

"By the way, they still didn't explain how his death has any connection to you. They seemed awfully intent on switching subjects."

"Maybe they just didn't know."

"Whatever." She said looking out the window.

She sat there looking into the black night. She occasionally looked at a computer but didn't stop. Chris didn't try to figure out what was up. He checked the ship's email and found a recent one. A lump formed in his throat as he realized that it was from Rouge. He knew that she would contact him later, but now he was having second thoughts about opening it. He went with his gut though and decided that the message was harmless. He had no idea how Rouge found the shuttle's account, but that wasn't his top priority now. He scanned the message with curious eyes.

_Human, _

_I know that this message will make you nervous as soon as you see it, but rest assured that you're alright. I am giving you a status update on the current state of affairs._

_All goes well, and attention has shifted off you for the moment. I know though that they'll be sending agents after you disguised as civilians. No more ships. I think they're afraid you'll destroy him. _

_I also have this picture. You don't know this man, but if my suspicions are correct, you aren't alone in this. This is the picture of H. Welker, former Marine Corps master sergeant_.

A man's face appeared. H. Welker had a strong face, chiselled chin, close-cropped hair; everything that a Marine was supposed to be. Welker's face was bruised and cut though. One eye was nearly closed. Obviously Welker had an _interaction_ with an interrogator.

_Welker, like you, came in contact with the Chaos Emeralds. Unfortunately he doesn't have the early warning systems that you had, so he was taken in. He was interrogated, tortured, and when he couldn't give the information they wanted, he was killed. I don't know how many other people out there are like this, but the way that they dealt with this man isn't reassuring. I still have no idea what this info is; codes, schematics, battle plans? What do they want?_

_I can't think about it right now. I can't be seen writing this to you. I've had a 'friend' encode it so that it will slip past the ONI hotword scanner. He wishes you luck._

_I don't know where you're headed, and I know you have every right to run, but I hope that you find what you're looking for. _

_I'll send you a message again if I have the time. _

_-Rouge_

_

* * *

_

A day later, NICOLE announced that they were at the end of their journey. Chris went into the bunk-room and knocked on the door-frame. "Hey, we're done the trip."

"Where are we?" Roan asked.

"Talahan."

"Talahan V, Talahan?"

"Yeah."

Sam huffed. "Huh, great hiding spot."

"One place they'd never look." The Captain admitted.

He told them to brace for the rapid deceleration and went back to the cockpit.

He buckled in and clipped his oxygen mask on. Hera turned to him and asked, "So what do you think we'll find?"

Chris thought about it hard. It would have been seven years since he had set foot on this god-forsaken planet. He didn't know what to expect except for an overgrown jungle world that stank of death and bad memories. He thought about this but simple said, "I don't know."

Hera wasn't convinced. "I know we'll find something. Maybe some clues to shed some light on Cleary's death."

"We're not here to search for clues." Chris said with the air of a parent scolding a child. "We are here to hide from anyone who wants to dice my brain for some alien secrets.

Hera sighed sadly. "Sue me, it was just a suggestion."

"_Reverting to realspace in four, three, two_…"

The night sky popped out of nowhere. What was once a void of nothing was replaced by an alien starfield.

"NICOLE, what's our current position?" Chris asked.

"Captain, we are approximately seventy one AUs from the star Eta Cassiopeia."

Hera tapped the navigation console. "Hmm, we're off course. Grossly. I programmed the ship to take us fifty thousand kilometers from the planet."

"No matter, we punch the engines, coast for a while, and we'll establish orbit by lunch." Chris reasoned. His tone was even, but he was scanning the night again."

"What's wrong?" The Major asked, sensing his discomfort.

"It should be around here."

"What…?"

"_Incoming debris_!" NICOLE shouted.

Hera tapped the foot pedals. The _Emerald Fox _sidestepped hard to starboard just before being smashed with a hundred foot piece of superstructure.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Hera asked livid.

"_We have entered a debris field around the star. Quick scanning shows that these vessels date back to the _Second Rainforest War_ on Talahan V. I believe that these are UNSC ships_."

"Oh wow." Hera said looking at the floating pieces of flotsam and jetsam. She accidently caused the ship to spin 80 degrees. NICOLE popped up.

"Hmm, better let me drive." She said with an air of concern. The yoke slid out of Hera's fingers.

"So this is where he fought?"

"Not here, really." NICOLE said. "These are remnants of the Sixty-Seventh Patrol Flotilla. He arrived with the Three-Twenty-Two."

"Can you imagine what this must mean to him? Coming back to all this death?"

"…No. I cannot."

* * *

"I always hate these places." Jackson said cracking open a bottle of beer. "They give me the creeps."

"Me too." Roan agreed.

Sam looked out the window in their bunk room. "So, how many people you think died out here?"

"The way I heard it, forty thousand in Naval personnel alone. Rebels lost around fifty thousand."

"So it was a close victory?"

"Close is the understatement of the decade. Of the handful of remaining ships, the _Indomitable_ was matched against three Talahan cruisers. She had a damaged hull, buckling superstructure, her reactors were nearly redlined, and she was low on ammo. She fired her MAC at the first cruiser who was also going to take a shot. The slug slams into the bow and causes the ship to turn and shoot its wingmate."

"You're kidding."

"No! It gets better! While the first ship is still recovering, the _Indomitable_ flips and smashes it with her stern! The Talahan ship shatters in a thousand pieces! The third ship is so scared that it turns around and leaves. The _Indomitable's _crew them realize they are in the path of an anti-matter missile! The missile gets shot and the most amazing explosion is seen! It ripples the atmosphere and burns any ship that stands in its way!"

"Wow! I can't believe it! It must have been a heavy battle!"

"Yeah, I'll say. That AM missile was the last one they were reported to have up until a few years ago. When that went down, they had no other way to attack. If they had destroyed the _Indomitable_, the UNSC would have been heavy crippled."

"War is so unpredictable."

"Indeed, you are correct." Allan said.

Jackson tapped her bottle on the table.

"Be level with me, Allan. What are we supposed to find here?"

"I don't know. He picked the destination, so this has some significance to him."

"But Talahan is a backwater, an irradiated place with little sentiment towards the UNSC."

"But it's safe."

"Allan, the only thing worse than the radiated areas on Talahan are the cheap citizens. They'll stab you in the back the first chance they get. "

Allan had to agree. He then changed the topic. "So, were you bullshitting about the _Locked information _shtick? "

"No I wasn't. That's a deeply held belief on Mobius that the Chaos Emeralds can teach us things that we cannot learn with simple books and studies."

"So why would it choose a Human?"

"Why would it choose anybody, Allan?"

"Because it trusts him?"

"I would assume so. The Overlanders had Chaos Emeralds in their hands and became quite powerful until they were brought down in the Extermination."

"Call that an error in judgement."

Samantha smiled slightly. "Call it a bad decision."

* * *

Chris' eyes jumped from one wreck to another. He tried to pick out ships he knew, any sort of identification on their hulls that could reveal what they once were. Finally, he saw one, a broken vessel named the _Romano Vargas_. He remembered the name by seeing the Hull Classification Number printed on her intact prow, DD-712. He didn't dare look for bodies.

Hera said, "How many ships were lost out here?"

"One hundred and seventeen." He answered, as if he was sensing her question.

NICOLE announced that Talahan was close enough to be clearly distinguished.

Chris looked and saw the world he had tried to forget. Talahan was a green floating ball that was covered in jungle, heated by Eta Cassiopeia. Millions of years ago, a greenhouse effect took over the planet, causing the ambient temperature to jump up to thirty five degrees Celsius. Ice caps melted, jungles grew, and soon it became one of the most tropical places in Human space. This did not mean that it was a vacation spot, oh no. Talahan was a mean planet. There were predators larger than bears, Vultures with four wings, and even the fish were carnivorous.

Aside from these, Talahan V originally started as a mining planet owned by Talahan Extracts Corporation. It was the fifth planet that they owned, hence 'Talahan V'. The capital at the time was Derrick's Gulch, which made the majority of the planet's revenue in minerals such as Sodium and Carbon extract. Other cities on the planet focused on other things such as gold, silver, and a unique element called Vatanium which was useful in building supports and superstructure.

Things didn't start getting nasty until 2916 when the company was forcibly kicked off their own planet by unhappy miners. The company decided to cut their losses after gaining trillions in profits. After that, the miners started making demands; one thing led to another…

Chris just couldn't believe how a docile planet ended up as a rebellious hell-hole. He still couldn't believe it as they were rapidly approaching the surface. Talahan today was very different than the one he saw five years ago. It was still green, but large parts of it had become heavily irradiated from nuclear missiles; fires had started and had burned down millions of acres of forests, and to cap it all off, society here had downgraded into a scrounger society. He had no doubt that the people here wouldn't become mindless brutes…not just yet, but because the UNSC and the greater galactic community had abandoned them to whatever fate had in store, they would start to devolve back into farmers, increasingly unaware of their roots.

"Look at this place." Hera said, "It's amazing."

"You should have seen it before." Chris added.

"Was there a lot of jungle?"

"Plenty. Some say there was enough wood here to build a tower from Earth to the moon."

NICOLE announced, "I'm bringing us in. Where would you like me to put us down, Chris?"

"Locate the largest settlement on the planet."

"Scanning…tapping into what's left of the satellite grid…found it! The largest settlement on the planet is the…Kingdom of Blaine…?"

"What?" Chris said surprised. "Talahan never had a kingdom! It was a corporate mining outpost!"

NICOLE shrugged. "Well, according to this information, the Kingdom of Blaine was established two years ago and has a population of five thousand and seventy people."

"Of course, they probably followed a person who could get them what they need. I guess the power went to this Blaine guy's head and he started calling himself a king."

"NICOLE, traffic?" Chris asked.

"Non-existent. We are the only space-capable craft in the region."

That made Vennettilli think. If they were to set down, they would risk getting the _Emerald Fox_ stolen. Then they would never get off. "OK, locate the closest UNSC base."

"UNSC Fort Pearson, one hundred and seventy miles from the Kingdom of Blaine. Looks deserted."

"Put us down there."

"Yes, sir."

Abigail was interested. "Chris, why put down there?"

"If we were to go to any populated center, we risk getting this ship taken from us. This 100mm gun in the trunk is a prime example of giving a blowtorch to cavemen. Who are they going to shoot if they take it?"

"Right, every populated place on the planet..."

"…which is why we are going to a vacated UNSC base."

The _Emerald Fox_ made a rapid approach to Talahan. They skimmed past her two moons so close they could make out the smallest craters on the surface. The _Emerald Fox_ hammered the atmosphere, becoming a fireball as it passed through layers of air.

"Hull temperature rising to fifteen hundred degrees!" NICOLE said.

From down the hall, Roan asked, "Hey, is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?"

"It's just you, Roan!" Hera called back.

Chris was sweating bullets. He tried to concentrate but the jostling just wouldn't let him focus.

"NICOLE, close the blast screens."

Thick metal sheets slipped over the windows. This made him less dizzy. "Good call." Hera said. "We took a few chips in the window during our escape from Earth. I don't think they would have survived all that heat.

"We are at 90,000 feet, lifting blast screen."

* * *

Blue-white clouds littered the area, giving them the impression that the ship was in a winter wonderland. It was beautiful because they could comprehend what they were seeing without the hindrance of lunatic government officials chasing them.

Hera transferred flight controls to Atmospheric Mode. She tested the rudders and elevators and soon she was flying the ship like a plane. Hera consulted the GPS and discovered that their target was only fifty miles from their position. She activated the airbrakes so rapidly that Chris' head hit the control panel.

"JESUS! Are you alright?" She asked frantically."

"Ow…I'm alright. I just hit my head…I feel a little hungry though."

She decided he was joking.

Twenty minutes later, she slowed the _Emerald Fox _to a halt and then slowly descended through the use of VTOL engines. Slowly the freighter dipped below the highest trees. A few more minutes of careful piloting and they were safe on the ground.

"Looks like a clean landing; cutting power, and we are now safe on terra firma!" She announced happily.

"Good work, Major." Vennettilli said. He unclipped himself and took off his helmet. A little awkwardly, he walked to the bunk room where Jackson and Roan were. He was pleased to see that they were getting ready for a jungle excursion.

"Anything we should pack?" the fox asked.

"Just some weapons. Get a knife, preferably a big one, and some radiation treatment shots."

"It's not really as bad as they say, right?" the human mercenary asked, "I mean the radiation?"

Chris shrugged. "I wouldn't know. Personally I pushed this place out of my mind as soon as I left. I didn't care about it then. However, I would be cautious where you walk. If you start feeling dizzy, step backwards as far as you can."

"Good advice." Roan said with a hint of sarcasm.

Vennettilli walked to the airlock and opened it up. Familiar wet air flew into his nose, jungle birds called from all directions, and the most sunlight brought him back. He was back on Talahan.

He was back in Hell.


	8. Chapter 8: The Price of Failure

**A/N: I've actually received a small amount of flak on DA regarding the length of this chapter. I will state it here that I intentionally wrote this chapter short. The purpose of this chapter was to illustrate what's going on behind the scenes; what's going on regarding this whole 'conspiracy' thing? These characters are not the main focus, but they do move the story along. **

* * *

Chapter 8: The Price of Failure  
May 11th, 3239, 1121 hours  
United Nations Building  
New York City, Earth

Howard Tudyk nervously smoothed his thinning hair as he stepped into an elevator. He was shaking immensely. He missed the button that would take him to the top floor three times, but nailed it on the fourth. He was nervous as he ascended the UN building. President Marshall sent him a message following the escape of the _Emerald Fox_. Marshall seemed calm in his message, but Tudyk knew that the only reason that Marshall wanted to see him in his office was so he could throw Tudyk out the window. Howard knew he fucked up big when the _Emerald Fox_ slipped through the warpgate. As soon as that ship was out of his reach, there was no telling where they could hide. Vice President Qualms _vouched_ for him! _Assured_ the president that he could track anybody down with minimal effort and Vennettilli slipped away.

He imagined the sound his body would make striking the pavement.

The city of New York was slipping away under him. Lower lying buildings of the older city fell as he proceeded skyward. His car passed the lower cloud layer so that when he stopped, he looked as if he was in heaven. Howard knew though that this, in fact, was hell.

The elevator dinged, signalling his journey was complete. He gulped and walked into the hall. It was an ornate passageway. An oxblood carpet stretched all the way down, and multiple paintings hung on the wall. He recognized Richard Bonatizine's _Fall of Reach_ and Karl Wulfgang's _Crossing the Expanse_. Tudyk remembered that when John Cleary was in office, none of these paintings, the oxblood carpet, and the elaborate busts of Greek athletes were not here.

He had to admire Marshall's taste in classic art though.

After what seemed like an eternity walking down the hall. He reached the stainless-steel doors which would lead to Marshall's office. Two guards stood in front of it.

"ID?"

"I'm Howard Tudyk, Civilian Administrator of the Office of Naval Intelligence."

The guard simply repeated, "ID."

Tudyk opened his jacket and took a card out of his inner breast pocket. He reluctantly presented it to the guard and wondered why they didn't have an automated scanning system installed instead of these _stupid_ soldiers.

The guard looked at the ID card for a full five seconds before returning it.

"Go on in. He's waiting for you."

His fear returned at once. When he stepped close to the door, they opened at his presence, heightening the mood.

The inner sanctum of the president was dark with the exception of the window looking over the city. It was a bright day in New York, so a vibrant blue sky beckoned him forwards. Sitting in a chair though was a figure holding a smoking cigar in his mouth.

"Mister Tudyk." The president said with a deadly accent.

"Um…uh…you wanted to see me, sir?"

The cigar dipped in the dark. "Indeed, I did. Come here. Sit." The cigar seemed to float in the chair's dark shadow. "Please."

Howard seriously considered running, but what would that accomplish? He crept forward, almost unaware that he was moving. He found a red leather seat in front of the president's desk and sat down.

He saw Troy Marshall more clearly now. He looked relaxed with a cigar between his fingers. "Can I get you anything Howard? Coffee? Tea? Liquor?"

"No, I…I think I'm fine, sir."

The president grunted. "Hmm. You think you're fine?" Marshall got up. He seemed annoyed by the bright light but said, "I was told by the Vice President, the man I hand-chose to help me run the world, that you were one of the best men in the government. You were the man that could get me anything I needed, but you couldn't even catch a freighter."

"Mr. President, I think I can explain…!"

"Explain this, Howard: This man was on his own, without support, and he manages to escape your high-security facility by _hopping the fence_, steal a ship, and _DESTROY_ a UNSC vessel?"

"Sir…"

"There were two hundred men and women on that ship, Tudyk! Two hundred! You let them die!"

"Sir, that was Gerome Andsworth's fault!"

"In your report, you indicated that Gerome Andsworth did not move as you ordered, correct?"

"That's correct, sir."

"Did you incarcerate him?"

"No."

"Punish him?"

"No." Tudyk said a little more nervous.

Marshall leaned over the desk to look at this man. "What did you do then?"

"I reassigned him to another ship."

Marshall fell back into his chair.

"Gerome Andsworth has ties to the royal family, sympathy for Christopher Vennettilli, and you believed that a simple _reassignment_ would curb these thoughts?"

"It seemed like a good idea-"

Marshall pointed a threatening finger. "Tudyk, I'm warning you. I'm warning you that if you continue to FUCK UP like this, I'll be reassigning _you_ alright. I'll make sure to _reassign_ you to a firing squad! Qualms assured me that you were the best. My trust was wasted. You are a worthless little bureaucrat who's afraid to get his hands dirty."

"Mr. President. I think I have some consolation."

"Hmm?"

"We have encountered other Humans that have come into contact with the Chaos Emeralds! They have similar conditions to that of the Captain. They proved ineffective so we executed them."

"Hmm… I see. Good work. Yes, those men are worthless."

"I'm sorry?" Tudyk said, a little surprised that Marshall was _agreeing_ with him.

"Our priority is to get Vennettilli. Those men had no idea what they had within them. They had no idea that a plethora of information had been locked in their minds thanks to these jewels. You essentially have eliminated any other forms of potential resistance. Now, Vennettilli on the other hand," he got up and started pacing, "has support. Follow?"

"Yes sir."

"He has those who can inform him of what's inside of him; watch out for him, and offer him direct assistance. This alone makes him more likely to unlock what information the Chaos Emeralds have bestowed upon him. I do not think that any of your victims have comparable status among a civilization?"

"That's unlikely sir."

"I'm glad you think so. Now that Vennettilli has gone into hiding, we have ourselves an opportunity, Tudyk. We have an opportunity to grab him while nobody knows where he is. Sometimes, out of the bleak seas of misfortune comes a glimmer of hope." He stared at Tudyk. The shadows under his eyes gave Tudyk the impression that there were nothing but empty sockets in there. "Can you assure me that you will find this man?"

He breathlessly nodded. "Yes sir! I promise, I can find him! The only problem is, we need to establish a base of where he is! We can check the heavy population centers within a thirty light year-"

"Don't even bother, Howard." He turned and looked over his city. "Vennettilli's a soldier. A soldier doesn't think like you. Their minds function differently; a soldier doesn't think he can just slip away by blending into a crowd. Fortunately for you, I know how to think like a soldier, and I know that Vennettilli would hide in a place that nobody would ever look for him if they were sane of mind."

He breathed deep, and with a smile of cruel determination, he turned to Tudyk. "He would hide in his own personal hell."


	9. Chapter 9: Lost in a Sea of Memory

Chapter 9: Lost in the Sea of Memory  
May 11th, 3239, 1140 hours  
Talahan V, Eta Cassiopeia system  
Abandoned UNSC base

The ground was soft under Vennettilli's feet. The rich soil here was probably the remnants of an old volcano or two. It made sense as he looked at the mountain towering above him. He altered his view and surveyed the UNSC camp. It was quite clear that there had not been any activity for years. The UNSC pulled out completely in 3236 when it was clear the Talahan Rebels were beaten for good. However, they were crude in their extraction. Old buildings and some cargo crates were left behind. Chris saw with a mixture of contempt and fortune that a perfectly fine MX-22 Jungle Patrol Vehicle was just lying unattended next to a pre-fab building. The jeep would be perfectly driveable with the exception of two inches of jungle moss that decided to make its home on the MX-22's body.

Eta Cassiopeia was a bright orange-yellow, just like Sol. It was late afternoon on this planet. In order to more properly adjust to the time zones while on Talahan, he reset his watch to show local time. Talahan had a 30-hour day, but still used the Earth-based Gregorian Calendar. All planets did. The date would change regardless of what time of day it was. Local days were also recorded, but those were a hindrance. Chris smiled; his watch now read 2041.

"Hey Captain, was this the base you were stationed at?" Hera asked.

"No, I was on the other side of the planet. I never even left that continent. This is a whole different ecosystem."

"What do you mean?" Roan asked, stepping from the shuttle.

"You see, Talahan has three mega-continents; there's Luxor, Highlandshire (which we're in now), and Fratelli. Each continent has its own unique biosphere. Luxor's a frozen wasteland; 3 times the size of Antarctica and it's located near the South Pole. Highlandshire's mostly tropical and stretches around the equator as you can see, and finally, Fratelli is a mix of tropical and extremely warm taiga forest.

"Did you even fly over any of those areas?" Roan asked.

"Nope. I HALO jumped in. Didn't even bother. I got to the edge of the taigas, but by then, they war was over.

"Would you want to see the rest of the planet?"

"I'd sooner choose death." Vennettilli said in a bittersweet way. "This is the one world I wanted to stay away from. This and Malificent."

Hera's ears perked. "Did you fight there too?"

"No but…ah, that's another story." Chris looked around. "We'd better check these buildings. We don't want to have uninvited guests."

The major nodded. "Good idea. OK, I'll go check this medical structure."

"I've got the CP." Roan said. "Jackson's coming with me." Sam nodded and went after Allen.

"Alright. I've got this warehouse. Maybe we'll find some weapons here." He tapped his COM. "NICOLE, do we have any hostile contact?"

"_Negative Captain. I'm running a heat and area scan; no humanoid contacts_."

"Good work." He closed the COM and racked the slide of Rouge's pistol. He entered the warehouse cautiously. The door had been blown inwards by an explosive force. Peering inside, he could see that some crates were opened, no doubt because of scavengers. Other crates however were still sealed. He smiled and checked a little farther inside. All seemed well until he stepped on something that snapped. He glanced down and saw it was a human leg-bone; a _pile_ of human bones.

Then it attacked.

From out of nowhere, a long tongue-like object wrapped him around the neck and started to squeeze. Chris gasped in pain and surprise. He pulled the trigger and the weapon barked once. A pink flare fired for a second, but it was enough to get the guys running.

Chris glanced up and saw that he was being reeled in by a creature hanging from a hole in the ceiling. He tried to scream but his larynx was being crushed. It looked like a worm with shark teeth, no eyes and claws: the Ropetongue.

By the time he was seven feet off the ground, Hera burst into the room and fired a burst from her stolen Dyson SMG. They impacted the ropetongue which immediately dropped the Captain. Chris bounced on the earthy floor and landed on his back. The carnivorous creature roared once and ran away.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Sam asked, freaked out by the creature.

"I don't know." Hera reported. She knelt down and looked at Chris. "You alright, Captain?" She waited for his response, which was a painful groan. "Chris?"

The truth was that Chris had been poisoned by the Ropetongue. The poison carried on the tongue was as powerful as the slug-like Spike Crawler on this planet. It could kill smaller prey, but was proven to only knock out humans, but there was no way Chris could tell his friends that. He lay clutching his neck. The alien creature had managed to choke a mark into his skin, as if he had been strangled by a garrotte. There was a puncture wound on the left side of his neck. Out of it dripped blood and a mucus-like material: the poison.

"…Water…" He croaked.

"We need to get him out of here!" Jackson said. "Get him aboard the ship! I have a medical kit there!"

The grabbed his arms and legs. "Watch his head." Hera advised. Chris was in shock because of the poison's effects. Out of reflex, one hand was clutching the wound, the other lay limp.

"…Help…" He called again.

"Hang on, we're nearly there." Hera assured, but her voice was so far away. He had to strain to hear.

Soon he could only hear his breathing. Darkness was tugging the corners of his vision, and then, he went back in time.

* * *

**6 YEARS AGO…**

The jungle had decided to be co-operative tonight. The air was holding at a balmy 76 degrees Fahrenheit even close to midnight. Chris decided he liked this temperature. The only thing he dreaded was if it caused him to fall off his guard. He was a warm-weather kind of guy but he preferred to have his eyes open in cold climates than be stuffed in the freezer himself.

He was armed in jungle gear. A light vest, short sleeved shirt and padded boots. He also had a boonie cap tucked on his head. In his hands, an Orion Arms ZK-52 assault rifle. It was 3233 and he was a Sergeant Major again.

Beside him was Command Master Corporal Charles Madison. It was one week before Madison would step on a Talahase Improvised Explosive Device and die a slow, painful death in Chris' arms. It would be one week before Chris would lose his first and best friend.

"Imagine building a summer home here, huh?" Madison asked.

"I could, yeah." Chris smiled. "Don't think the neighbours would be very friendly though."

"Yeah, I'll say!" Charles said. "You ever get tired of this grind?"

"Yeah, I do." Chris answered. Wandering down the guard path looking for enemies when there are clearly none, getting jittery…yeah, exactly what I signed up for."

Chuck looked at his friend. "Hey, _we _did _not_ sign up. We were pulled from our lives and told to duke it out with these gibberish-speaking rebels."

"You wanted to join the military anyway, dude."

"Yeah, but not this soon, you know!"

They continued to walk down the guard path, a worn road that was marked by faintly flashing beacons. They were lucky because tonight had two full moons. The jungle floor was clearly visible.

Charles continued to talk to Chris. Being a Command Master Corporal, he was treated as a _de facto_ NCO, which put him on the same page as Chris. That wasn't to say that Chris wasn't strict on Chuck at all, but they trusted one another.

"Hey, you ever wonder what's out there?"

"Sorry?" Chris asked.

"You ever wonder what's out _there_, I mean." Chuck pointed to a patch of the night sky. The brightest stars were visible. Chris could probably pick out Sol somewhere out there.

"We've been in space for a thousand years. I know what's out there: war, death, destruction…"

"Oh come on. You have to have some enthusiasm. Don't you have hope for the Human race?"

"Chuck. Listen to yourself! We're fighting a war that originally was the result of a _union dispute_! You ask me if humans have _hope_?"

"Well…do we?" Madison asked.

Chris couldn't help it. He looked at the stars, looked away from Sol and into deep space. "I…I guess we do. I mean, if we can get out here, and colonize like, a thousand worlds, I guess we have some hope."

The radio broke the philosophical moment. "_3-Charlie Echo, check in on patrol route Foxtrot Three_."

Chris tapped his COM set. "3-Charlie Echo reporting in. Coast is clear, no hostiles in sight, how copy?"

"_Solid copy, 3-Charlie Echo. Overlord copies all. Continue patrol and further check in at 2906 hours. Acknowledge._"

Chris tapped the COM. "3-Charlie Echo acknowledges."

"_Copy that; Overlord out_."

Charles shook his head. "I hate that guy so much. "

"You and me both." The Sergeant Major said.

"Gotta keep on truckin' though. At least we'll get some relief when we get back to base."

"Good. I can't stand the nights here."

Just before they continued on their patrol, they heard staccato weapons fire among the trees.

"Are those ours?" Madison asked.

"No, I don't think so…" Chris said tapping his COM.

"3-Charlie Echo to CCP, are you reading?"

"_Solid Copy, 3-Charlie Echo. Go_."

"We have weapons fire to the Northeast. I don't think they're ours, over._"_

" _Acknowledged, 3-Charlie. Are you able to investigate_?"

"We're foot-mobile, over."

"_Acknowledged. Orders are to move in on suspected infantry and report in, please confirm_."

"Confirmed. We're on the move. Interrogative: are they firing on our units, over?"

"_Uh, unsure, 3-Charlie. We have not received any distress calls from any outward units. Be advised, you do not have permission to engage on will. Fire if fired upon._"

"Acknowledged, HQ. Fire if fired upon. 3-Charlie Echo out." He closed the COM and turned to Chuck. "Looks like it's you and me."

"Wait, couldn't we go back to camp?"

"Too far." Chris said. "We're over five miles from base camp. We need to figure out what's going on."

Chuck shrugged. "You have the chevrons."

"I'm glad you agree. Come on; let's go."

* * *

The jogged through the jungle, making sure to check the forest floor for tripwires. The UNSC had lost many people through careless mistakes involving landmines. Vennettilli assured himself that he would never fall victim to that careless and painful death…if he died of course.

The moons had started to set. Chris ordered that they switch to night vision. The jungle was bathed in a low glow. Trees were outlined in an orange lining as the two Marines moved towards the gunfire. Five minutes later, the tree-line broke onto a ridge. The two soldiers went prone and sighted their weapons.

In the valley below, a massive firefight was taking place. Talahan rebels were in tanks engaging UNSC troops. The military forces were exchanging all sorts of weapons fire. Chris looked at Madison. "How can something this big go on and nobody says anything about it?"

"Broken COMs?" Chuck suggested.

"On all of them? Unlikely."

"Concentrated EMP?"

"_Now_ you're talking, Chuckie!" Chris took out binoculars and zoomed in on the combat. "OK, looks like two Heracles models…possibly the A-23 MBT."

"No, it's the A-22. Look, there's only one antenna."

"Right, right. OK, on support, I would assume a Kit Fox AFV."

"I agree. The one on the right has a bit of damage."

The Sergeant Major looked around the small battlefield. The tank scored a direct hit on a Marine position sending soldiers flying into the air.

"Sarge, they're taking a beating. I suggest you call it in."

"I agree. I can't take any more of this." He tapped his ear-COM. "3-Charlie Echo to Command, anybody reading me, over?"

"_Command reading five by five, 3-Charlie. What is the status of the gunfire_?"

"A UNSC Platoon is under fire. I am estimating them to be at half-strength."

"_Can you identify them, Sergeant Major_?"

Chris activated his HUD. The sunglasses he was wearing detailed the unit under fire. They were characterized with a snake wrapped around a trident. "Command, I have eyes on the 39th Amphibious Assault Battalion, 6th Platoon; out of Primi Dora."

"_Copy that, 3-Charlie. Double checking now…_"

The voice returned ten second later.

"_Confirmed, 39__th__ is in theater._" He turned to someone else. "_Why aren't they responding? Get someone on that, now_."

The Sergeant Major suggested that it might have been because of a precision EMP strike in the area. Command denied it.

"_Not likely Sergeant. TAC teams report no EMP strikes in the area; assume COMs blackout._"

Chuck cut in. "Can we assume we have backup?"

"_4-Charlie Echo, that's a negative; get off the line_."

"No, we're on our own?" Chris said.

"_Affirmative. You do have a fire mission available though._"

That made his day. An artillery strike in the area could effectively destroy the advancing rebel party, but it could give away their location.

"Sarge, these guys need our help."

"Command, patch me through to fire command."

"_Affirmative. Good luck 3-Charlie._"

There was silence over the channel, then a gruff man's voice fizzled in.

"_Staff Sergeant Hoffman, we are at your service, 3-Charlie._"`

"Hoffman, this is Sergeant Major Vennettilli, we have discovered 6th platoon of the 39th Amphibious pinned down. We require fire support!"

"_Solid copy, Sergeant Major. Designate area, we have rounds loaded._"

That's when the reality hit them: They had no designator. They had no way to tell artillery command where to shoot.

"Artillery Command, we have no designator."

"_Well that kind of makes shooting shit difficult, doesn't it, Vennettilli?_"

"Fuck this!" Chris cursed. "You got a map?" he asked Chuck.

"Yeah, right here!" Madison said digging into his pocket.

"Give me it, give me it!" Chris spoke to the Sergeant on the other line, "Artillery Command, stay on the line."

"_Roger…_"

Madison spread the map out. "OK. Here's base camp, five miles thataway." He pointed to a red square marked as 'CAMP'. "Guard trail loops around the camp clockwise. That would place us somewhere around… here I guess…"

"No, we're standing in front of a depression…" Chris reasoned, pointing at the ravine. "Look for a depression around…fifty feet?"

A tank shell smashed into the river wall below them. Thankfully they were not spotted.

"I got it! Right along the guard trail! Here we are!"

Chris snatched the map. "Artillery Command, we have your fire mission!"

"_Alright Sergeant, let me have it!_"

"Requesting fire mission on Grid setting: Fox Niner Seven Fower Two Tree Tree Seven Four Six! Seven shell barrage, danger close!"

"_Solid Copy, grid setting F974233746; danger close. Fire for effect! Shot…!_"

There was no sound, but they could tell that a huge rain of fire was going to engulf the rebel forces before they would even know what hit them.

"_Time on target, 5 seconds…_" Hoffman chimed.

"Better get down." Chris advised. Both him and Charles hit the dirt and covered their ears.

"You know we might die, right?" Madison said a little concerned.

Chris laughed. "You want to make a bet on that?"

"And pay you back in heaven?"

"No way, you're going to wire it to me from hell."

A sharp screech filled the air as the artillery shells hit the targets. The tanks disintegrated into shards of metal. Rebels screamed as they ran for cover. The Infantry Fighting Vehicles flipped three times before landing on their sides. The men of the 39th, confused, attacked the running men with vigour before the last shell hit the ground. All that was left of the rebel platoon was a smouldering crater with the charred remains of tanks and soldiers.

"_Hoffman to Vennettilli. Confirm delivery of ordinance on target._"

"Vennettilli to Hoffman, hit confirmed. We rang their bell."

"_Acknowledged. Damn fine callout! It's been a pleasure working with you; Artillery Command out_."

The Sergeant reconnected to command. "HQ, the 39th has been liberated."

"_Excellent work. Go down there and make sure they're alright. Find out why they were not responding too._"

Chris told Madison to come with him. They found a natural ramp leading them into the ravine floor. Guns were pointed in their direction.

"_Don't move!_" One of the soldiers called with weapons raised.

"That the way to treat your rescuers?" Madison asked smiling.

"… That was you?" another soldier asked.

"Yes." Chris said. "Who's in charge here?"

"Me." A stocky man in combat gear said. He pushed his way forward. "2nd Lieutenant Mo Berack, 39th Army Battalion"

"Lieutenant, Sergeant Major Christopher Vennettilli, 182nd Marine Infantry Division."

They shook hands. Berack smirked. "182nd? You boys pull some major miracles, including saving our asses!"

The men chuckled.

"Hey uh… thanks for the middle finger of God back there." The Lieutenant said. "You really saved some people's lives."

"Sorry we weren't here sooner."

"Nah, it's all good."

Chris cleared his throat. "Sir, why weren't you able to call for help?"

"EMP. We were hit before out ship went down in the bay. We swam to shore; didn't have time to grab our packs, just some ammo and guns. We're starving, Sergeant."

Chris nodded. He tapped his COM. "Command, The 39th is safe. We have wounded. These soldiers report an EMP attack in the bay. Took their ship... the…"

"_Holloway_."

"… the _Holloway_ down. Do you have any information regarding this?"

"_That information's classified, Sergeant. We cannot access that. Bring those men back. You've done a good job_."

Chris didn't question, but he gathered the men up, and they started walking back.

"Just another day at the office?" Chris asked his friend.

"Are you kidding?" Madison asked. "I can do this the whole damn war."

* * *

Light started to flood back in. He found himself coughing violently while lying on a bed. He discovered that his shirt was off and a bandage was wrapped around his neck. He groaned and sat up. He saw that Hera, Roan and Jackson were all sitting in one corner of a bunkroom.

"Hey, you're up." Hera said walking over to him. "We were really worried."

"Where am I…?" Chris asked in a very low voice.

"You're on the ship." Allen said. "We were able to drag you back to safety. Thought you were a goner."

Chris chuckled. "I wasn't going to die."

"We saw that thing strangle you, inject you with poison!"

"It was the choking I was worried about." Chris said. "The poison isn't fatal; I would just be knocked out for a while. Good thinking with the gunshot. Those things are scared by loud noises."

Chris was surprised with how slow he was talking. He hadn't been bitten by a ropetongue before. He could only imagine the effects.

"How are you feeling?" Jackson asked. "You look weak."

"I… blacked out for a little while. I fell, and then I woke up; nothing in between."

He didn't mention his flashback to the war. He didn't want them to think this planet was having an effect on him.

"Thank God you're alright." The Major said. Come on, let's get your shirt."

She unfolded it. The fabric was coated with dried blood.

"Sorry, we didn't have time to clean it."

"It's alright, give me it."

He slipped the shirt over his head and cracked his neck.

"What's next on the agenda?" The rabbit asked.

"Same as before. We lay low."

"Chris, can you at least _pretend_ like you're interested in taking Marshall down?"

"Why? I want to stay safe so that I can go back to Mobius-"

"—and whether you like it or not human," Samantha said, "that's not going to happen until we find something that can help us. You are acting very selfish right now, only thinking about you!"

"Don't say I'm selfish!"

"Then do something to help us! We're here, we're not leaving; give us a hand, huh? You know this planet better than we do, and we all know that you don't want to stay here forever."

Chris knew she was right. Of course she was. The sooner that he was off this planet, the better. He was expected to cut his teeth along the way though. One thing was important though. If he was going to stay here, there was one thing he needed to do.

"If we're going to look for clues, I want to look for something."

"What?" Hera asked.

"I want to find my best friend's grave."

* * *

They once more ventured into the deserted camp. "Did you search all these buildings?"

"While you were out, yes." Allen said. "There was a nest of those snake thingies in them."

"Ropetongues."

"Right."

"We figured out they didn't like gunshots, but we were afraid we would have broadcast our position out there. Thankfully we pretty much scared them off.

"So what do we have?"

"A few guns, a crate of ammo, a bit of food, medical supplies, and that SUV there." Hera said pointing to the Jungle Jeep.

"Any of the data in this base still intact?"

"No, I don't think so. Most of the computers were shot or bashed in." Abigail said. "Hard drives are fried too."

Chris thought about it. Why would they do this? Was it a scorched earth tactic? Leave nothing behind, or were they hiding something they didn't want anybody to see? Chris' experience in the last few days made him suggest the latter, but he decided to put it out of his mind.

"We take the car. NICOLE?"

"_Yes, Captain_?"

"Mark the location of the ship with a NAV beacon."

"_Done and done. Nobody's getting close to this baby_."

"Major, you said there was a settlement on this planet?"

"The Kingdom of Blaine, yes."

"We will be avoiding that until we have found all the information we can out here."

"Yes, sir!" They all said. Chris smiled. He liked being in charge again. It gave him a purpose in life; to lead people to victory, or die trying.

They all got into the jeep. It was a little mossy but it wasn't an issue.

"Hope the engine works." Allen said.

"This thing has a fusion battery." Chris explained. "It'll last a thousand years before you have to take it in for an oil change!" He chuckled as he switched it on. The engine fought for a second, but then the headlights sprang on and the engine started to purr.

"That's what I want to hear." The Captain said. "OK, where to first?"

NICOLE's hologram appeared on the dashboard. "A good suggestion is UNSC Outpost Kendleton, approximately twenty kilometers away. They have a COM relay that will help me patch into the orbital camera network. Once I'm there, I can give you an eye in the sky looking for anything of value and listening for anything worth tuning into."

"Speaking of tunes, what's on the radio?" Jackson asked. She twisted one of the knobs.

"_… my citizens, as your King and channel to God, I have come to you today to inform you of this solstice season. We have had a bountiful harvest and we are one step closer to taking to the stars again and vanquishing the collective fascists of Earth and-"_

She killed it. "Forget it, I'll hum."

The jeep bounces through the jungle over logs and rocks. Armed with a heading, the crew moved into the trees, hoping to find some answers on this damned rock.


	10. Chapter 10: The Kingdom of Blaine

Chapter 10: The Kingdom of Blaine  
May 12th, 257 (Solar Year), 2451 hours (Local Time)  
Talahan V, Eta Cassiopeia System  
Dorsum Province, Highlandershire

The MX-22 hopped over the jungle humus. The wheels seemed more like treads, able to negotiate the earth better than any vehicle. Chris had to admit that there was a certain degree of skill required to negotiate the wilds of Highlandershire. It was a challenge, and that was what he appreciated. They ran over a root which launched the rear of the vehicle into the air. Jackson, being the lightest, was bumped into the air. She yipped as she landed on her rear. Allen and Chris chuckled, but she was red in the face.

"Should have buckled up, Jackson!"

"Shut up!"

The vehicle moved like a brand new sports car. It dipped, it dove, and it oddly enough had the best fuel economy the Captain had ever seen.

Go figure.

"How far to the Kendleton base?"

NICOLE's hologram was replaced with a map of the area. "_The Kendleton base is approximately thirteen minutes and three seconds away, Captain; provided you continue down this path._"

"What _path?_"

"_Hmm…good question, Captain. Oh, watch out for the mangroves!_"

"Mangroves -?"

He almost yanked the wheel off avoiding it. The massive roots were half the size of the MX-22. The 'mangroves' were massive trees that stretched for nearly three hundred meters into the air. These were some of Talahan's claims to fame. They were named 'mangroves' because of their similarities to Earth trees in the Amazon, apart from the twisting limbs and the broom-shaped leaves.

Chris never saw this in Fratelli. At the most he saw pine trees and palm trees, and a helluva lot of shrubs.

Eventually he tore himself away from his thoughts on botany and focused on the road instead. They came to another clearing where the UNSC cut down a ring of trees and set up a base here. Naturally, it was deserted, but why? Traditionally In war, when one side won, they often left a compliment of troops behind as an occupation force. Here, they just cut their losses and left. It wasn't as if Talahan wouldn't have been useful or anything; there were huge deposits of mineral carbon; trillions of dollars' worth of it.

"You ever get the feeling that something odd's going on here?" Hera asked, a bit redundantly.

This kicked Chris' sarcasm mode into overdrive. "Over the past few days where I've been incarcerated, chased, and fired upon? No, not at all."

This caused Hera's cheeks to puff in annoyance. "Ooh, Dad would have liked you. He was as sarcastic as you."

"Well I am happy to say that your father and I really had a fantastic sense of humour."

"Ladies…!" Allen said. "Quit getting your training bras in a knot and focus on raiding the base."

Then a thought struck Chris that was quite delayed, given the fact that he was intoxicated by a Ropetongue for the past four hours. "What are supposed to be finding here anyway?"

"Evidence that might be able to save your ass." Jackson said.

"On a backwater swampball that's being overtaken by plants?"

"Eyes on the road, Captain."

Chris' eyes narrowed. Hera was right. Something odd was going on here.

Kendleton was a UNSC Navy outpost. It was roughly the size of a basic camp, but with a few additions such as landing platforms where shuttles and freighters could touch down. Chris wondered why they didn't touch down here but a look at the surrounding area was the answer. Three miles in every direction around the Kendleton base was clear cut. Not a single tree was standing and nature had yet to recover this particular patch of planet. Their descent would have been much more noticeable if they had decided to put down here.

Vennettilli had no idea why they were going here. He assumed that the Mercenaries that were with him knew something he did not. There had to be something, _something_ that they wanted, otherwise they wouldn't have been so keen to visit this place. Talahan had started to gain nasty reputations with the other races as well.

Chris decided to leave the questioning until it mattered. The objective was to get to the base and discover more of what had happened since the war ended. Plus, it was one step closer to finding Chuck's resting place.

Kendleton's AA towers were still standing, though there was nobody else to man them. They hung like sentinels in the sky as the MX-22 coasted underneath them. They all held their breaths as if they were passing a graveyard; afraid that the guns would suddenly turn on them and blast them off the road. Obviously, nothing happened and they rolled further into the dead base.

The buildings were in better condition than the last base. Navy took care of their own, especially when it came to building construction. True, these buildings were made with prefabricated parts, but at least they were made with love. Brilliant metallic colors were painted on the structures, motivational banners were draped from flagpoles, and even a _tram system_ was installed.

"Damn." Chris said. "I wish I joined the Navy."

"We can't all be that lucky." Hera said with a thin smile.

They pulled in near Battalion Headquarters; a building with a trapezoidal pyramid on its roof with multiple antennae and satellite dishes perched at the sky. The name _Kendleton_ was painted in bright white letters that failed to even fleck in the humidity after six years. This baby was built to last. Hell, Vennettilli was sure that the insect repellent on the windows was still fresh!

"So, who's going in first this time?"

"Not me." Chris said. "I already got attacked once by an animal today."

Jackson shrugged. "What the hell makes you think _I_ want to go in first then?"

"Flashbangs?" Allen suggested.

"Would be nice if we had them." Samantha commented.

"We have guns." Chris stated hefting his Dyson.

"Astute observation, Captain." The fox said.

The sarcasm wooshed over Chris' head.

They came to the closest door and opened it. One shot inside scattered rodents. No ropetongues were present.

"Clear!" Allen called out.

"Clear right!" Samantha added.

"Room Clear!" Chris called out. "OK. We have this building. Let's find out what happened to everyone."

They looked around for a scannable terminal. Like at the last base, most of the monitors were scrapped. Jackson and Roan went to the third story to oversee the area. Allen reported what they found.

"_Captain, the runways are clean. No planes or shuttles left. Looks like they were evacuated_."

"Hmm…" Chris mumbled. "Perhaps there was a radiation warning."

"That seems solid." Hera said. "Or a possible threat of a meltdown. I don't think the UNSC wanted another Chernobyl."

"Chernobyl?"

"In the 20th Century, a Soviet nuclear power plant went critical and irradiated the area surrounding it. I remember reading it in our history books. The land is now habitable again on Mobius, but I imagine on Earth it isn't."

"Oh, you mean like the Maldovia Incident."

"Sorry?"

"Forget it…"

"Anyway, the heavily irradiated land would have forced people to escape, but if there actually was radiation, we'd be dead already."

"A threat or a feint perhaps?"

"Possibly." Hera concluded.

"_Captain, it's Jackson. Think we have a terminal_."

"Is it operational?" The Captain asked.

"_Not exactly_." Roan commented. "_Hard drive seems intact though_."

NICOLE chimed in. "_If it has an IR adaptor, I can jack into it_."

Abigail and Chris went up to the third floor to see the computer. It was a holographic model, possibly for the Commanding Officer. They found the port and NICOLE linked in. Her hologram popped up on her handheld.

"OK. I'm in; lots of clutter. They're mostly error messages."

"Can you see anything?"

"…Yes. I've found timestamp files. They're directly linked to the CO of Kendleton Base. They're lengthy so I'll summarize. The one just before file collapse states that the Talahan Rebels had captured UNSC fusion reactors and threatened to blow them up. These would create explosions as powerful as a small star. The UNSC personnel were so scared they called a continent-wide retreat. Soon, the Fratelli forces followed in 3236.

"So we were chased off the planet thanks to saboteurs?" Chris said.

"Pretty much. Would explain why nothing's here."

"And the reactors…?"

"Still operational. The rebels are using them as power sources. They still have no idea how they work, but it seems as if they know how to blow them up."

Chris didn't laugh. This was serious. The UNSC had decided to jump ship and leave the sore losers to build up more forces. With military-grade fusion reactors, they had more juice to make more weapons of war. Talahan would be able to manipulate other planets in the Eta Cassiopeia system. This would be a critical strike against the attack force to disarm the Galaxy Bomb.

"You really think that they can use them?" NICOLE asked, sensing Chris' discomfort.

"Well, one can think…"

"Hang on…" NICOLE said. "I'm going deeper into it…slicing into the main UNSC files." She looked at her friends. "Bad news: I've got a firewall."

"Well that sucks." Allen said.

"Good news: Firewall is no more!"

"Oh, well that's cool." Roan said rolling his eyes. "Classic AI: giving the bad news first."

"I am blunt, Mister Roan. I consider it a design advantage." NICOLE said smirking. Her eyes then darted from side to side. "Oh my God: In the file, it says that President John Cleary authorized the retreat, but his decision was influenced by General Assemble leader Troy Marshall!"

"So Marshall was involved…" Chris said. "Well, well, well. Imagine what you find when poking around."

Roan and Jackson refused to meet his gaze.

Chris decided to wait a little longer. He could feel a juicy confession was going to come out.

"Hold on…" NICOLE said. "I think I've found something. I'm able to connect to an orbital server left by the UNSC. Looks like they forgot to pick it up. It has a file in it that references a man codenamed BRUTUS that's working as a double agent in the Kingdom of Blaine. The message is dated three years old."

"Brutus?" Chris asked.

Jackson answered that one, "He was the one who stabbed Ceaser. _Et tu, Brute_?"

"Where?" Chris yelped, drawing his Dyson.

"No!" Jackson hissed. "Calm down! The book, _Julius Ceaser_!"

"OK…what about him?"

"In the book, Ceaser considered Brutus his trusted friend and partner, then suddenly, he was stabbed in the back by his best friend."

"Hmm, real tragedy."

"That was the point."

Chris put the pieces together. "So, this guy is essentially trying to blend in and strike when they trust him."

"I could be totally wrong though." Jackson admitted.

Hera added, "Yeah, maybe they thought BRUTUS sounded catchy. Military-ish."

"Right." The mercenary added.

"… and let me guess where he is." The Captain said groaning.

"Oh yes." Jackson nodded.

They took some time to gather some munitions from what was left of Kendleton's armoury. The place was in shambles. Mortars had caved in part of the roof, rats were infesting cracks, but other than this, it seemed perfectly safe to walk about in here.

"So, when did they get a skylight?" Chris joked.

"Probably when what was left of the rebels starting using this base for target practice." Roan suggested.

"Well, this place looks pretty intact; giant hole in the ceiling barring."

"Probably wasn't any fun without moving targets." Roan added smiling. Suddenly, something caught his eye. "Oh yes! .45 ACP!" he grabbed a handful of magazines and stuffed them in his coat pockets. "Navy shops well. These are my personal favourites."

"We don't have any .45 SMGs." Chris pointed out.

"Well, I do have _this_." He reached into his leather holster and pulled out a silver handgun. "M1911, custom made, fully restored."

"That's an old gun, Roan." Hera pointed out. "We use those on Mobius. They're out-dated by Human standards."

"Ah, but remember this: Underneath the body kit lays the true motor vehicle."

"So, modern workings, older shell?" Chris figured.

"Correct, and I love every Silver-Carbon inch of it."

Hera laughed. "You're not the only one I guess! Chris likes using a Desert Eagle!"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Hey, how did you know that-?"

"I read your file, Human." Hera said quickly. "I know everything about you."

"Creee-py." Roan said in the background.

Vennettilli decided to forget about it. The sooner they got whatever they needed to find, the sooner Chris could just fade into the jungle for a few months; that is of course, he didn't _die_ during this excursion.

Suddenly he was having second thoughts about coming to Talahan at all.

* * *

The Kingdom of Blaine was a walled city with a population of just under ten thousand. It was one of the largest settlements on the continent. From what they understood thanks to brief radio channel studying, the leader of the Kingdom, King Blaine the First, was self-appointed. He was a rebel general that managed to escape UNSC jurisdiction before the war on Talahan ended. It seemed very plausible that Blaine had simply spent too much time in the foliage and developed a 'god-complex'. Actually, it was more of a reliance on God than a complex itself; Blaine sounded narcissistic as hell anyway though.

Blaine seemed to have it in his head that he could use the fusion reactors that they captured years ago to create a new army, but the people living here were miners and rebels, not nuclear fusion technicians; getting them to understand the workings of foreign equipment would take some time indeed. In the meantime, King Blaine decided that the best way to strike back at the 'fascist' people of Earth would be to start from the ground up, in the most literal use of the term. Harvests were taking place, mining operations extracted minerals, and plans for spacecraft were drafted, but it seemed that they wouldn't be anywhere near completion within decades, probably a century even.

They were heading towards the Kingdom of Blaine in the MX-22. They were dressed muscle shirts and their cargo shorts. Vennettilli suggested that they were not to wear anything that would associate them with the UNSC. Chris had lost his cap some time ago, and the only thing that he had on him was Sally's dog tags. He slid those into his pocket. The Captain took his Desert Eagle and put it into his large leg pocket. He instructed Roan to do the same with his .45.

"What about us?" Hera asked, taking her eyes off the 'road' briefly. She looked to Jackson.

"Under no circumstances can you come with us." Chris explained.

"Why? Because we're women?" Jackson said with a bit of bite.

"Oh Christ…" Allen said, putting his palm to his head.

"No, because you're Mobians. You'll spook everyone."

That argument made sense. They would stand out even more, and possibly would be imprisoned or executed. Nothing would be accomplished by bringing the girls into the city.

"Fine." The major resigned. "I'm not happy about this though."

"Don't expect you to be." Chris said, hanging his hand out of the passenger window.

The city's wall appeared from gaps in the trees. They shut the Jungle Exploration Vehicle down and looked about. The coast was clear.

"OK." Chris said vaulting out. "Me and Allen will get in and contact you. Keep your COM sets on. Hand me NICOLE, please."

Abigail passed the Human the AI unit. "Well, what are we supposed to talk about?"

"I don't know. Talk about girl things. Talk about clothes or your menstrual cycle or something."

"You're pathetic." Samantha scoffed.

"It's a full time job, Merc." Chris stated as he turned to leave. The Humans looped backpacks over their arms and marched into the jungle.

"We'll give you a call!" Allen called before they disappeared into the foliage.

There was an awkward silence for a few second. Samantha looked to Abigail and said, "So… when's your time of the month?

"Usually around the second week. How about you?"

"Eh, I'm bitchy all the time."

* * *

"I've been in a jungle before." Roan said. "Wasn't as thick as this before."

"Yeah. This is much worse than on the Fratelli continent."

"I mean, God _damn_! I think we forgot to pack a machete."

"Nah, I'm not a sword guy; too slow. The only people who use swords are either living in the past or psychopaths. In this day and age, guns are the way to go."

"Well, you know your girlfriend has a sword. Is she 'behind the times'?"

"You mean aside from using AK-47s? No. She uses guns. The sword's just for decoration."

Allen's curiosity kicked in. "How did you even get her into the military?"

"She volunteered actually. She wanted to know more about Humans."

"Well, she certainly accomplished that."

Chris gave the barest indication of a smile. "Is there anything Vanguard doesn't know?"

"Less than ONI, that's for sure. I'm sure other Private Military companies have a dossier of some length on you."

"I'm not the longest though, am I?"

"Are you kidding? On a scale of 1-10, you're a 2 at the most."

"Hmm, comforting."

The jungle gave way to a path. It was well worn with tire tracks and footprints trailing into the city. Two armed guards with submachine guns stood at attention in front of the gate.

"Guards. Not unexpected." Chris analyzed. "NICOLE, assessment?"

"_Sneaking in seems impossible from this angle. There are other entrances, but they are likewise guarded. Cycles occur every three hours, but they're simultaneous._"

"So will we have to get messy?" Allen asked.

"_That actually won't be necessary, Mister Roan._ _I see what looks like a caravan coming up the pathway. Looks like they were coming from a neighbouring settlement_."

A truck turned the corner with a few people on foot. Chris realized they had a shot after all.

"Roan, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Fundamentally, yes." The mercenary said.

They quickly discussed a plan. While the view of the guards was obscured, they would blend into the band of mercs. The backup plan would be to act as if they were part of the group but simply fell behind.

They waited. It seemed like hours before the truck was at the gate. Thinking fast, they crept behind the traders and acted natural. These men were likely tired and extremely hungry, and didn't even give them a second glance. Roan himself wouldn't have been surprised if they thought he and Vennettilli were hallucinations.

"Ello, ser. Mershanti cando mélindi us Hartold. Tri jorni." The merchant leader was talking to the guards in Talahase. Chris could pick some of it up so he could translate. "Pasé vundom Blaine? Mes houmo et famishe."

"He says the men are hungry. He wants passage."

The guard looked at the truck. "Un momemte."

Roan had a bad vibe. "Uh oh, looks like a customs check."

"Stay cool…"

The guard circled the truck, looked under the truck and the tarps.

Chris thought fast and grabbed a handful of dirt and dust and smeared them over his arms and face. None of these tired traders paid any attention. They were coasting on pure luck alone. They had to keep rolling sevens. Allen followed suit and soon they were as grimy as the men around them. By the time the guard looked at them, they blended right into the tired troupe.

"Hmm…OK. Udom pasé."

"Danke."

It was too easy. These guards were the worst custom officers that the captain had ever seen. They simply stared right into the jungle waiting for another visitor.

"_Wow. That was uneventful_." NICOLE admitted.

"I know right? I nearly fainted when he looked at me." Chris said.

The inside of the Kingdom was strikingly similar to that of a developed Old West town rather than the proverbial kingdom. It had a few cultural twists to them: A mining theme was common on some buildings, the colors of the Kingdom were draped from flagpoles and a photo of a bald man with a brilliant red beard was plastered on the walls. King Blaine, to no great surprise.

"Leave the talking to me." Chris said. "You can't speak Talahase. I can, but we'll avoid contact as much as possible. I have a noticeable accent."

"Fair enough. Looks like everyone here has a weapon though."

"I have a feeling if we keep our guns out of sight, they'll avoid starting a fight."

"I disagree. I've been in a brawl before. Unarmed people are the first shot."

"Regardless, keep your weapons hidden. That's an order."

"Yes, _sir_."

They decided to scout the neighbourhood. It was a nearly a kilometer square of housing, warehouses and bars. Considering that this was a second-hand society, the general upkeep of the place was pretty good. The streets were reasonably clean, people seemed polite to one another, and there was actually a police force.

"_Good afternoon my children. This is your king. I would wish to remind you all that military drills will be occurring later this evening. Do not be shocked to see soldiers in the streets. They will be unarmed though. Stay indoors and do not make contact with them. That is all_."

"You know," Chris said, "I've never heard of a king that made direct contact with his people like this."

"You know," Allen said, "I'd like to know why he's speaking English. Why isn't he speaking the native language?"

"You're talking too much, Roan." Chris said, cautiously looking around. "Shut up…"

"_Actually, Mister Roan's point is a valid one. King Blaine does, in fact, have a preference for the English language. I have been monitoring the local chatter. It seems he commonly makes addresses in English, rarely using the native tongue. My hypothesis is that he is a defector._"

"Hmm, that's interesting, NICOLE." Vennettilli said.

Roan countered. "Our mission is to find BRUTUS, not determine the King's ethnicity."

The decided to have a drink. This way they could get some information about the place. The Captain had everything planned out. "NICOLE, I want you scanning for hotwords in the crowd. Anything to do with BRUTUS, ONI, or an informant."

"_Done and done_."

"Nice thinking, Cap." Roan said. "This way, we'll have someone we can confront.

They came to a bar which looked like it was made out of a large engine turbine. Music was coming out of it. It seemed to draw them in.

"Hey," Allen asked. "What does that say?" He was referring to the title of the bar. It was written in a geometric-style language; the script of the planet.

"It says. '_Numoia dodg__à__t __Č__het_'. It means, 'Lair of the Inebriated'. Simplified, it's 'Hooch-House'." The captain smiled at his own translation. He was glad he could smile even after what happened to him. That was going to be a new personal philosophy of his: '_Manage a smile a day, and you're on your way!_'.

They went into the bar. It was a dingy little place. It was roughly the size of a small house but only had one ceiling fan. Some of the lights were either flickering or broken; this was a lair of criminals if he ever saw one. Criminals were trouble, and he was about to leave with that thought. A second thought came into his mind.

_I'm a criminal, and criminals have information_.

So he went forward. A drunk pair was sitting in the corner, laughing uncontrollably about a story they couldn't even talk straight about; along the back wall, a few prostitutes were surveying the crowd, looking to see which one required rented companionship, and the bartended himself was a mountain of a man. His dark skin was slick with sweat, and his head was shaved. Chris leaned on the bar.

"What'll you have?" The bartender asked. Chris was shocked momentarily.

"You speak English?"

"Yeah. Not everyone on this planet speaks that gibberish. What, thought you were the only one here who talks like that?"

"No. Are you a defector?"

"No. I just don't like this language. What'll you have?" he repeated.

"What've you got?" Allen asked.

The bartended stuck out his chest, proud of his wares. "Best selection in town. Vodka, whiskey, any drink you can think of. There's this alien shit too called _Yltold_. Made by those Lyshad guys. This stuff wasn't made for Humans, but it gives you a hell of a buzz." The man laughed.

Chris licked his lips. "You got non-alcoholic too?"

"Yeah, if you're a pussy."

The last thing the Captain wanted was to be insulted by the bartender.

"Pussy, huh? Alright, know how to make an Algol Genocide?"

The black man laughed. "Alright, I take it back. You ain't a pussy, you're just crazy."

"Can you make the drink?"

"Fuck yes I can make the drink." He turned to Roan. "What about you, Princess?"

"I want none of the shit he's having; Scotch on the rocks."

"That all? You're in the bush, baby. I've got a stocked bar and all you want is a scotch on the rocks?"

"What can I say? I'm one for tradition."

The bartender went to make the drinks and returned a few minutes later. The Algol Genocide was a popular drink in the Algol system. Made with combinations of both whisky and vodka with a little bit of orange juice, the Genocide sure did as advertised: put you on the ground, or your money back.

"We'd like to ask a few questions."

"What?"

"We're looking for someone."

"Are you guys bounty hunters?"

"Yeah, something like that."

The bartender leaned in. He was huge, even when hunched over.

"Let me give you a piece of advice: these guys here probably wouldn't like to hear that. Bounty Hunters aren't liked at the best of times. You guys better not be from off-world. You'd be treated even worse."

"Well, let's make sure nobody knows that. Let me reiterate:" Chris said, "We are looking for someone."

The bartender cleaned his glass. "He got a name?"

"His superiors call him BRUTUS."

"Oh, military target."

"You have any info on the down lo?"

"Not on me. Think a few guys here could give you some info though."

"I don't think they'd give it up freely."

"Not smart at all." The bartender said. "These guys probably have friends."

"_Captain, I have determined someone in the room has information on our target._"

Chris ignored NICOLE's message for the moment.

"I see, so how do I-?"

Suddenly, Chris felt hot breath on his neck. A man with a scar across his eye spoke in heavily accented English, "'Ey, _Idioté_. You must be lost or sumthing like that?"

"_Ne, vundom fuver_…" He tried to say.

"Don't _give_ me that bullshit, you son of a bitch! You're asking a lot of questions!"

"I'm curious, kiss my ass." Chris said with bite.

"I think 'e's a spy." A man beside the angry person said. "Think 'e's here to fuck with the King."

Allen realized first what they needed to do. "Fuck with him, no. Fuck him up, maybe."

"Allen!"

The angry man nodded. "Ohoho, is that it, _hajaquo_? Yeh? Want to settle this outside?"

Chris narrowed his eyes, processing. "Let me finish my drink."

"Yeh, thanks for ordering it for me."

"I'm drinking that." Chris warned.

"Fuck you, _piqui_."

"I said, I'm drinking that."

The man grabbed the drink. Chris took a knife and stabbed it through the man's wrist.

The angry Talahanian screamed and clutched his wrist. His friends immediately got up and ran towards the two men. Chris landed a right hook on a charging miner, knocking him clear off his feet. Another one was charging Allen. Roan punched that one in the gut. While the man doubled over, Chris slammed him over the head with a beer bottle.

With the broken bottle, he threatened some guys who were close-by. He teased them in Talahase. One got too close and got a huge cut on his arm. He howled as blood painted his skin red. The rest of the bar got really riled up and people started fighting with one another. Out of their peripheral vision, Chris and Allen saw the bartender simply relaxing while the brawl took place. Obviously he didn't want to get involved, despite having muscles the size of pomegranates.

Chris took another slash. An angry truck driver got hit in the face. He clutched at his torn skin and sunk to the ground. Suddenly, weapons were drawn. Chris realized that this had really gotten juicy. He drew his Desert Eagle and fired it at the one who had drawn. His entire hand was blown off. Shots erupted all over the place and not necessarily at Chris or Allen. Roan had drawn his .45 and was forcing the mob of drinkers back.

"NICOLE, where's our friend?"

"_heading for the door!_"

They saw him. A single figure ran through the door and down the street.

"Fuck!" Chris cursed. He grabbed a chair and broke it over an armed man's head. The target was knocked cold instantly. Allen kicked a man over a railing where he broke a table. The two sprinted out the door while the fight was still going on.

The bartender lit a cigarette and drew a shotgun. "My week just got interesting."

* * *

Allen and Chris barely caught the man going around the corner. They ran at full speed while avoiding people.

"_Haut!_" Chris called. "_Haut!_"

Allen realized that he was trying to make the running man stop, but that terrified person wanted none of it. He toppled crates to try and stop the two soldiers, but Chris and Allen vaulted over it.

"I'll take the left turn!" Allen said. He ran down that street. He was sure that it would connect later. Roan saw the informant through gaps in the buildings.

Chris on the other hand was starting to get tired. He got close to the man, but started to lose speed. Thinking he was losing his pursuer, the informant laughed and rounded the corner, only to find that it was a dead-end alley.

Allen got there first to block his escape. The man tried to climb the steel wall to no avail.

"_Ne! Ne! Patum volcé! Ne! __Č__hvaiá!_" Chris turned the corner. As soon as the scared man saw the Marine's gun, he started to go crazy. "_AH! __Ü__gunda Dio! Plesé! Haut!_" He saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. "UNSC! Stop! Please!"

"You know someone named Brutus?"

"_Ne! nevo!_"

Chris slapped the man with the grip. "English you little twat! I know you speak it!"

"I don't know anything!"

Allen shook his head. "He's lying."

"_I agree. Subject is our man with .002 percent chance of failure_. _Captain, please allow me to project myself_."

NICOLE's hologram appeared. "We were monitoring conversations in the bar. You used 'Brutus' fifteen times, ONI twice, and a myriad of other incriminating terms such as 'infiltrator', 'UNSC' and 'Earth'.

"I am simply a patriot!"

"Rebel." Chris breathed. "Who's Brutus?"

"I don't know!"

NICOLE said, "Captain, I don't think this man is going to give up information without persuasion."

Chris nodded sadly. "I see. You promise you won't tell Sally about this."

NICOLE and Chris locked eyes. "I promise." She said.

Chris stomped on the man's hand. He screamed for a second but Allen wrapped a gag in his mouth. "Who's Brutus?"

"_Nevo Paiino!_"

He stomped again. He felt the man's finger bones shift.

"Who is he?" Allen said with power.

"He's nobody!"

"Allen. Break his arm."

He found a pipe, made sure the hand didn't move, and swung. With a sick crack, the man's arm twisted. If the gag wasn't in his mouth, the man would have screamed loudly. Instead, it was merely a muffled whimper. Tears were rolling from his eyes, but Chris wanted a name.

"Tell me who his is, or the other arm goes." Allen took the gag off.

"STOP! OK! He's a spy! The…the UNSC…put him here to watch the king! He says that he wants to start a war again!"

"Who, the king or Brutus?" Chris asked.

The man passed out though.

"FUCK!" Allen said. "All that work for nothing!"

Chris was about to say something, but something hit him in the back of the skull. He felt pain as his body shook violently. Someone had shot him with a stun gun. Electricity surged through him until his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell over unconscious.

Allen turned, but a rifle but slammed him in the face. He was knocked out before he hit the ground. Police officers had arrived from the bar brawl. They overheard the screaming and came to investigate. The dragged Vennettilli and Roan into a transport.

* * *

Hera and Samantha were bored beyond belief. With nothing to do, all they did was watch the sun set.

"How many moons does this place have?" Hera asked.

"According to the computers there are four. They all light up on some nights."

"Sounds pretty."

"I guess. Better than just one."

"You mean half of one." Abigail noted

"Right, half of one." Samantha said. "Humans have all the fun." Her smile disappeared. "Major, do you know anything about Humans?"

Hera shrugged. "Some things. Why?"

"I just wanted to know, I mean, I've been with Allen a couple years now. He's really nice. I just wanted to know, is it so wrong that I like him?"

"You mean, because you're Mobian?"

"Exactly. Is it such a crime to love someone who's different?"

"Samantha, no. It's not wrong at all. Do you like him?"

"Yes."

"Do you love him?"

"I…I'm not sure yet."

"We're all different. Why do we love anybody? We feel like we have a connection with them, that's why."

"I see. I guess I just needed someone to tell me so."

"Don't worry. My folks were different. It didn't stop them even though my grandparents had issues with it."

A radio call broke the conversation. "_Jackson! Hera! Help! We've been captured!_"

"NICOLE?" Abigail asked.

"_Yes! Allen and Chris are in custody, I have been taken as well! We need help!_"

"Where are you going?" The major asked.

"_The government building! I think they're taking us to see the king!_"

"OK! We'll come get you."

"_OK, I'll give you directions as you go. Hurry up; things are going to hell here!_"

They grabbed guns from the car. "Are you sure this is necessary, Jackson?" Abigail asked.

"It's like she said. Things have gone to hell." She inserted a magazine and racked the charging lever. "Let's go get our boys back."


	11. Chapter 11: Full Circle

Chapter 11: Full Circle  
May 12th, 257 (Solar Year), 2704 hours (Local Time)  
Talahan V, Eta Cassiopeia System  
Kingdom of Blaine, Dorsum Province

The taser round to the back of the head, the captain was not expecting. Truth be told, if he were to be caught, Chris assumed he and Allen would be dragged away guerrilla style with a few nightsticks thrown in. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. He was sure a standard-issue taser shouldn't have had the sort of punch he experienced, but then again, he did start a bar fight and probably seriously injured several men. When darkness finally gave way to light, he was face-down in a cell. The concrete was warm against his face. He had been lying there for some time. He pulled with all his might as he tried to will his body to move. His hands felt as if they had weights on them. His entire body felt like he was on a high-gravity world without being acclimatized.

Roan was there too. He was propped against the wall with his mouth slightly ajar.

Chris tried to get himself to sit up. His back ached; a by-product of getting 50,000 volts or more in the back of the head. Truth be told, he was surprised he wasn't drooling from the mouth at this point. All he felt was pain though.

"Allen." He said trying to shake the mercenary awake. "Come on, get up."

Roan groaned deeply and shook his head. "What happened to us? "

"We were shocked."

"Where are we?"

Chris looked around. He took in their surroundings. It was a prison cell. Not too bad. There was a set of beds on the wall, a private lavatory (or as private as one could get in a prison) a television set, and even a small window. It was pitch black outside. He didn't have his watch though. He had no way to tell how long they were out.

"It's definitely prison." The Marine said. "They must have tased us and bagged us while we were out."

"They want us for something." Roan reasoned.

"How do you know?"

"I don't. Something in my gut tells me that they want something."

"OK. You go with your gut often?"

"Enough."

"Well can you ask your gut how we get out of here?"

Allen shakily got to his feet. He felt a bit dazed. There were bright lights in the cell, which made a contrast to what was outside, further disorienting the prisoners. Allen thought of a migraine that was forming in his skull. Light hurt, sound hurt, but he had to focus. The Captain needed his help.

Roan paced around the cell. He analyzed every little detail he could. He came to the cell door.

"Nice, did they steal this from a real prison?"

"What?"

"This is a maximum security grade cell door, common in any correctional facility that has a decent budget."

"Why is that amusing?" Chris asked.

"Because the rest of this cell is hardly what I would call 'maximum security'. Look at this, cinderblock walls, glass mirrors, a _private bathroom_, and there's even a window!"

"And a room with a breeze is surprising because…?"

"You've never been inside a Soviet prison cell Captain. You don't even know what a prison even looks like; however, with my help, this is as close to a UEG prison you're going to see."

Chris sat up on his bunk. "So you can get us out."

"Well, no." He explained quickly. "The door is right out. Sure, it's an out-dated piece _dah-je_, but it still has use. We aren't getting through these walls without commercial-grade explosives."

"So, we're fucked basically."

Allen leaned up on the wall. "Well, not necessarily. Samantha's a tough son of a bitch. We worked together on the Soviet mission for the first time. I saw her work. Her resume spoke for herself. She knows her way around infiltration and assassination. Me, I'm a master of disguise."

"You don't look it."

Allen seemed deeply offended. "Could Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel without his paint kit? Could Shaw or Fujikawa discover Slipspace without their lab? I need tools; resources I can put to use. Get me those, and I'll become another person."

Chris got up and paced. "Well, I don't think we'll be getting any of that sometime soon. Our gear and guns are gone, Jackson and Hera are somewhere we don't know, NICOLE is probably being dissected right now, and we're here sitting in this cell talking about an escape without a plan."

Allen pointed a finger at Chris. "You're one to talk, Vennettilli. You captured Fukoma here on Talahan –DON'T bother denying it, I won't argue about this-, you got your team onto the bridge of Eggman's cruiser. You're the man who spearheaded the assault on the Overmind; for Christ's sake, you're the man who managed to charm the heart of the PRINCESS OF KNOTHOLE right from her xenophobic hedgehog boyfriend? YOU CAN'T EVEN ESCAPE FROM A PRISON CELL?"

Chris gulped, cleared his throat, and said, "Well, I'm sure I can think of something."

"Good boy. If you need me, I'll be thinking of what we'll do _after_ we escape."

Chris thought. This was a prison cell made up of spare parts. A high-security door, but everything else was small-time in comparison. It actually should be a breeze. One tactic came to Chris' mind: The sick man routine. This was a classic; it demanded that one of them act like they were sick and bring a guard to the room. Unfortunately this was a tried and true trick. Any prison break would have used this as a first attempt; he needed to up the ante.

"Hang on, I've got it!" Chris said. "Roan, we have to fake a fight."

"Excuse me?" he said, roused from his thoughts.

"Roan, the way we attract the guards is to stage a fight. We break pieces from the mirror and pretend we're using them as weapons!"

"That…that could work." He said, considering it. "Will the guards hear us?"

Chris nodded. "Yes. There's a hole where they slide the food trays in. We shout and it'll carry."

"Well, who's going to start the fight?"

"You." Chris decided. "I can attack the guards when they come in. Since we have weapons, odds are they'll have decent weapons."

"Ah, good plan. Don't really have much myself after this. Get some guns and go out blazing." He went over to the sink and smashed the mirror with his elbow. Glass shattered and fell to the floor in shower of shards.

"That should get someone's attention." Chris said. "OK, now we have to act like we're really going to kill one another."

"Should be simple. Alright, who gets cut first? Has to be convincing."

"Rock paper scissors." Chris declared.

"Fine by me. I never lose."

Chris chuckled. "Please. You're looking at the '27 schoolyard champ here."

"Yeah, well in 3230, I was declared the Station-Wide RPS champion back at Vanguard. You can't buy publicity like that."

"Pics or it didn't happen." Chris smiled.

"So let's do it."

* * *

It was well past midnight by the time Jackson and Hera were ready to begin their assault. The moons were out and shining bright, although the smallest, Lisbon, was starting to sink over the highest mangrove trees. Both of the girls had their war paint on. Using moist earth, they covered their faces and painted simple camouflage patterns on their arms. They also discarded their jackets. They needed as much stealth as they could here. Besides, the night-time air was actually pretty warm.

"Got your knife?" Jackson asked, tying her hair in a ponytail.

"Yes." Hera said, showing her the blade. "Why do we need it?"

"Self defense." Jackson said. "Just in case someone attacks us."

"Why? They've done nothing to us!"

"I said just in case." Samantha hissed. "You get it?"

"I get it." The rabbit said with a snarl.

Samantha checked her watch. It said 0140. Time to go to work. She ordered the major to accompany her towards the wall. There was one guard on duty with a rusty assault rifle in his hand. The way they saw, there was no way to get past him. There was a spotlight shining on him anyway, so somebody who happened to be coming by that direction would see intruders.

"Ideas?" Hera asked.

"We have to be quick. We need to draw his attention." Jackson reasoned. At her feet, there were a few coconut-sized rocks. She hefted one and tested the weight. It was heavy. It wouldn't fly far, but she would have other uses for it. She did pick up a stone the size of a golf ball and pitched it in a high arc. It smashed into the bushes, creating a loud rustling as it did.

The guard's head snapped, gun at waist height. He started to go towards the sound. Jackson crept behind the man, stone in hand and bashed him over the head. The guard collapsed at once without a word.

"Is he dead?" Hera whispered.

"I hope not." Jackson said shooting her a glance.

They dragged the guard into the bushes and relieved him of his weapons. Their plan hit a snag when they noticed their tails.

"Wait, what are we going to do about our tails?" Hera asked.

Samantha looked over her shoulder. "You mean my tail. You just have a cotton swab on your ass."

Hera chuckled. "Just try not to move yours as much."

"It's not like an arm where you can move without thinking, it has a mind of its own!"

Hera repeated, "Just try not to move it as much."

The next step was to get inside the city. Easy considering that they knocked out the only guard apparently watching the entrance. Since it was well past midnight, there wasn't anybody outside. Based on what they heard on PA announcements, King Blaine imposed a curfew at around midnight for people. What could have possessed him to do this was unknown. Many people have thought that for many centuries, a curfew was similar to controlling people against their will.

They sprinted across the street, assault rifles raised. It was clear that nobody was coming but one could never be sure. Hera really didn't have an aptitude for espionage and sneaking because of her profession. As a pilot, one needed to focus on shooting down the plane in front of you. Before the Human arrival though, the Mobian Air Force was a pitiful military branch. At the time, it was a glorified recon unit. Most of their planes had no weapons because truthfully, there really weren't any enemies to fight. Robotnik really started fighting when Humanity appeared. They were a threat; Mobians, at the time, were not.

Hera needed to think like a groundpounder though. Vennettilli's life was probably at stake, and she couldn't let him die. She wouldn't stand for it.

For the next few blocks, they were able to avoid guards. During these times, Hera and Jackson saw how these people lived. They were desolate, living in discomfort. Some of the richer citizens had prefabricated structures, but the poorer ones had tents essentially.

It disgusted them. Why would they live like this? Obviously this was because the UNSC won the war, but a tyrant was ruling them.

"You know, I think they got what deserved." Jackson said.

"Why would you think that?" Hera said shocked.

"They rebelled. Things could have been solved in an easier manner."

"It was a _union dispute_, not a declaration of rebellion!"

"The way I heard it, it was different."

"_Could you two calm down and tell me where you are?_" NICOLE said over the COM.

"Forgot you were there." Hera said.

"_I'm listening._"

"Wait, don't you have a satellite uplink?"

"_I can't get it up, but I have the map saved. No updates for you_."

"We'll deal." Jackson said.

They looked around and analyzed their surroundings. Hera tapped her COM. "I see a rusted truck, a cargo crane, and a two story prefab structure on a street corner."

"_What's the street name_?"

"I don't think there is one." Hera shrugged.

"_That makes things harder. OK, uh, I have a map on file, but I need to scan every three-way intersection that has a cargo crane and a two story building. Keep in that area, alright?_"

They looked around and melted into the shadows. "OK, we'll just wait here." Jackson said.

* * *

"Scissors cuts paper." Roan declared.

Vennettilli gulped. "Best 16 put of 20?"

"Quit stalling! You want to get out of here or not?"

"Alright, fine!" Chris said holding out his arm. "Slash me."

Allen smiled for a second, and then a flash of glass came from nowhere. A spray of blood came from Chris' right arm.

"_Fucking Christ!_" Chris said.

"Relax you big baby."

"When I said slash me, I didn't say '_cut my fucking arm off_'!"

"It's a flesh wound. You'll be fine. Here, I'll give you a couple of scrapes on your face."

With the grace of an artist, Roan carved some shallow cuts into Chris' brow and cheeks. It didn't even hurt at all. Soon, Chris looked like he was actually in a fight.

"You look good." Roan said. "What now?"

"Get some mean-spirited threats in the air."

"OK. Ooh, I learned some good ones when I was in the gym a few weeks ago."

"Will they sound convincing?"

"Yeah, he actually got the other guy to take a few swings at him."

"How did the fight end?"

"Well the coroner sure was busy that day…"

Chris gulped again. His throat was a little dry.

Allen took a deep breath and began, "You little fucking worm! I'm gonna slit your fucking throat, drink your fucking blood, and after I get out of this hole, I'm going to personally find your family and fuck them UP!"

_Nice!_

"Help! Someone help me! He's got a knife!" He then screamed in a convincing manner. He'd know the proper tone. He'd been shot before. "FUCKING HELL! Help me! Someone! AUGH! Don't leave me to die you bastards!"

"Heard you've got a kid!" Allen continued, twirling the bloody shiv in his hands. "What's he, three months old now? You know, I've never heard a child scream when they're about to die. I don't think they even know what's going on. Tell you what though; we're going to have a real _learning experience_!"

Chris screamed in the native language. A national was worth more to these people than a foreigner. "_Ne! Nevo morde! Ne! Caurda! Halp! Plesé!_"

His accent was off, but he didn't think it would matter, as a few prisoners were chattering amongst themselves, amused by what was going on. Some of them even laughed and chanted, "_A__aú, a__aú, a__aú, a__aú_!"

"Ok, quick, slash me!" Allen hissed. Chris obliged. He grabbed his own piece of glass and got Allen on his leg. Roan snarled and grunted. "Not so deep!"

"Cry me a river."

"Don't fuck with me you little ass-rat! I'm gonna fucking cut you open, carve your lungs out and eat your fucking _HEART!_"

He grabbed Chris and put him against the wall. In a voice that wasn't loud enough to be clearly heard, he said, "I'd like to kill you now, but I want to watch you squirm first."

"Allen, you're not sticking with the plan." Chris said a little nervously.

"Give me a break; I'm no good at acting."

"Bullshit, you could win an Academy Award for this shtick."

There was a sound of boots on a catwalk outside. They started to cycle the door.

"You brought the fucking guards here?" Allen acted, raging. "Stay out, or this man breathes out of a new hole in his skull!"

If anything, the door unlocked faster. They smiled. What Chris hadn't told Allen was that the next part focused completely on luck.

The guards burst into the room. "_Airete ney!_" they declared with guns raised. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! _Prisonet, haut et subnactur!_"

Chris realized they were talking to Allen because he had the bloody blade.

"Fuck you!" Allen called, drawing attention to himself.

The guard pointing a riot shotgun at Chris looked to Allen for a split second. That was all Vennettilli needed.

His stress made him slip into Conditioned Awareness. He grabbed his own blade, slashed the guard across his trigger hand, wrested control of the gun, and fired it point-blank into the guard's chest. The man had the wind knocked out of him and smashed his head against the wall.

Allen's guard turned to look at the noise. Roan slammed the glass/knife into the back of the guard's knee, twisting it in place. The man cried out in pain before the Captain swept the butt of his shotgun across the guard's face.

The man collapsed without a word, twitching slightly. The great news was that neither of the guards were dead. Their plan worked with distinction.

"Well done, sir." Allen said extending his hand.

"Always a pleasure, Mister Roan." Vennettilli said shaking it. "My advice, go into drama when you get back to Vanguard. You'd make a great Hamlet.

"Didn't he die?"

"It's a tragedy, everybody dies."

They changed into the uniforms of the guards, locking them in the cell. When they went down the raised hallway, prisoners roared and cheered as they realized the guards weren't coming out. Some made bargains if they were let out, others cheered and wished the luck.

For the briefest moment, Chris considered it. He remembered what sort of planet he was on and how the circle of life functioned, but then something inside of him argued against it. These people already suffered enough, some of them probably directly from his actions. He had to give them some slack as he was essentially coming back to raise general hell for some reason unknown to himself.

"Hey, are you UNSC? You let me out, I got a girlfriend! I'll let you screw her!"

"Hey, soldiers! You are soldiers right?"

"You let me out or ima cut your nuts off, you hear me?"

Chris gave a grim smile. "Yeah, I'll be right over there, man. You're here for a reason."

"Hey… are you Vennettilli?"

He froze. The Captain looked in a solitary cell with a mid-aged man sitting in the corner.

"You must have me mistaken for someone else."

"You stopped." The man said, lighting a cigarette. "You turned to look at me. You're him."

"How do you know me?"

You're a soldier. Soldiers know other soldiers." He pulled out a set of dogtags around his neck. A proud eagle was stamped on them.

"I was with the 75th ODST Battalion. We were in the same theater as the 182nd. Name's Bowman."

"Again, how do you know me?"

"I was pals with Captain Benedict. Talked highly of you. What are you, Staff Sergeant?"

"Captain."

"Fucking Christ, they grow up so fast." Bowman laughed. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing in here."

"It was in the back of my mind."

"Well, let's just say I was unfortunate enough to _survive_ an ambush in Dagwood's Cleft."

Chris understood. Dagwood's Cleft was an area in the mountains of the Fratelli Continent named after Clarence Dagwood, the first man to die there. Dagwood's Cleft had a nasty reputation of ambushes during the course of the war and had plenty of casualties to show from it. Several angry letters were sent to Division Headquarters requesting all future patrols avoid Dagwood's Cleft, but all had been denied with DHQ stating in the footer to simply 'stay attentive' in the future.

"You poor bastard." Vennettilli said. "Just you?"

"No, my whole platoon got captured. A few of us were killed outright. 25 of us were taken prisoner. This place was just a supply center when I was first tossed in here. We were killed off one by one. Now it's just me and another guy, but he's somewhere else."

"Well, I'll get you out."

"Don't waste your time. Get your ass out of here."

"Why?"

"Eventually I'll be let out, and I'm not as young as I used to be. I can't escape. You and your friend get out of here. I don't want to know what you're doing back here on Talahan, but you've got your reasons."

"Well, at least tell me where men from the 182nd are buried?"

"Ah, last respects, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Those boys are buried near where Division Headquarters was. Just look around, but first you need to finish your escape attempt."

Chris took a card on his belt and tapped the door's lock. The jail cell popped ajar.

"The hell are you doing?" Bowman said in surprise. He nearly dropped his cigarette.

"Giving you an option. I was never given one, but I feel someone deserves one." He turned and left, leaving Bowman to contemplate what to do.

"Why did you do that?"

"He's a soldier and he needed help."

"But he said that he couldn't go."

"Most people want us to feel sorry for them. I gave him a choice. If he doesn't want to take it, he can close that door and go on with his confined life. If he wants to take a chance for freedom, he can."

"I can't say that I agree with what you're doing, but I believe you're doing it for what you think is right." Roan said.

* * *

"_OK, I have your location!_" NICOLE announced.

"OK, can you do anything for us?"

"_No. I have your current location and I cannot update. Best I can do is direct you to new spots. Are you ready?_"

"Yes." They both said.

"_Alright, I want you to head three blocks up the street and make an immediate left. Proceed at your own discretion. Guards might be patrolling._"

They followed her advice, travelling three blocks before turning left.

"OK, now what?" Hera asked.

"_Proceed one block down your current direction and turn right_."

This was the procedure. NICOLE would give them a new location to go to and wait until they responded. It felt very tedious and as if they were on the front lines. Right when she was about to address NICOLE on this issue, Abigail ran smack into a patrolling guard.

"Oh shit!" She cursed.

"Hey!" The guard said annoyed at first. "_Haut et…_ah…!" He froze and looked at the girls. Instantly they realized these people have never seen Mobians before. "Ah…!" The man reached for a pistol, hands shaking. "_Haut et subnactur!_"

Hera kicked the man in the groin. He cried out for a second before she followed through with a reverse punch. Before she could admire what she had done, some of the guards on patrol heard the unconscious man. They came around the corner only to see two figures racing into the night. They raised their guns and fired.

Then everything went to hell.

"Gunshots." Vennettilli said.

"Looks like Hera and Jackson are coming to save us."

"Oh no." Chris sighed.

"You can say that again."

They rounded a corner to see three guards. Chris fired his riot shotgun. A rubber slug impacted the man in the chest, knocking him back a few paces. Before the others could even react, they too were on the floor writhing in pain. Roan kicked them in the head to make sure they had a nice little nap.

"We need to find NICOLE." Allen said. "We can find the girls that way."

They snuck their way through the prison, avoiding close contact with the guards since Chris' face was still a bit bloody from the mock fight. Anyone that got too curious suddenly felt a blunt impact on the side of their skull and fell unconscious.

This prison was small, poorly constructed, almost ramshackle. What impressed them though were the computer displays which seemed ripped from starships and repurposed to monitor inmates. It was a godsend because most of the displays were in English, some in Japanese. Chris and Allen were able to find a directory which pointed to a contraband storage facility.

"Bingo."

"Too easy."

Chris gave that look. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that around me. You know what happens every time someone in my team says something's too easy?"

"I imagine that they jinx it."

"Indeed."

"Call me crazy. Captain, but you don't strike me as the superstitious kind."

"I surprise people. Just don't ever say that phrase again. I died the last time someone said that."

"…how many times have you died?"

"Clinically, twice. I was revived almost immediately after each time. Look, I'll tell you more later, but the longer we screw around here, the shorter the life expectancy for Sam and Abigail is!"

They went at a fast walk. "Sam should be able to take care of herself." Allen assured. "No need to worry."

After walking down the same cinderblock pathways with fluorescent lights, they came to a pressure door that led to the contraband storage center. It was locked so they looked for a key on their belts. None of the cards matched though and they didn't want to send up a little red flag on the security monitors, so they walked away.

"Oh come on." Chris said dryly. "Someone's got to have a key."

"Just loiter around until someone passes by."

They leaned up against the wall for fifteen minutes, all the while nervous from the gunshots from the outside. Soon, an armed guard came out of the storage room. Allen ran forward, wrapped his arm around the stunned woman's neck and slammed her head into a steel pillar. She dropped like a sack of cement; out like a light. Allen plucked the key from her belt and proceeded to move the guard into the nearest dark corner where nobody would discover her.

The card reader showed green when Roan tried to access and the pressure door gave way. What was curious about this room was that THIS was an entirely different architectural style than the rest of the prison. While the building generally had a dark, cold, monotonous feel about it, this room was high tech. Computers were in corners, holograms were draped on the walls, and a deactivated security robot was hanging in the corner.

"Where are we?" Allen asked.

"A different planet maybe. Weren't we just outside…?" Chris added, hooking his thumb over his shoulder.

"It looks like someone actually _built_ this place." Allen noted. "It wasn't ripped from a ship or something like that."

Chris looked around. "I have to say, I am impressed."

"_Guys!_"

The pair looked at a glass table in the middle of the room. NICOLE was sitting there along with a few laptop computers with wires hooked up to her.

"NICOLE?"

"_I'm here_." Her cover was opened. Lines of code were streaming on her screen. Every now and then, her face would appear. "_Help me._"

She was in some sort of pain, but she hid it well.

"NICOLE, are you OK?" Chris asked.

"_I've been in worse scrapes. Get me out of this_."

Vennettilli unplugged NICOLE from the other computers. She seemed relieved and her hologram popped up.

"Executive access granted. Thanks a lot; that feels so much better!"

"What were they doing to you?" Allen asked.

"They were flooding my circuits with an electronic countermeasure. It was preventing me from giving tactical information to Major Hera and Miss Jackson."

"But you're open to them now?" Chris asked.

"One hundred percent! Hang on, I'll patch you in."

There was silence for a second before sounds of gunfire cut through the room.

"_We're a little busy right now!_" Jackson said. "_What do you need_?"

Roan smiled. "Jackson, how are you doing?"

"_Allen? How did you escape_?"

"Staged a fight." He said proudly. "I assume you're coming to rescue us."

Jackson cursed for a second. "_We were. We're going to have to meet you halfway_."

* * *

"Good news, the guys escaped somehow." Jackson said to Hera. They were taking cover behind a cargo crate while guards pinned them down with fire. A few curious citizens poked their heads out but they were ushered back in by police.

"Well, that made our actions a little unnecessary." Abigail said.

"Yeah. We're going to meet them at the prison."

"Aren't we trying _not _get captured?"

"Bring logic into this later. Suppress them and cover me."

Hera levelled her assault rifle and fired blindly around the corner. Some of the guards screamed in surprise. _I think I got one_. She said. Sympathy was not in her thoughts. After destroying a military frigate, even if it was by accident, this was small time. It was do or die here anyway.

Jackson scurried across to another cargo crate. She too took the time to suppress the guards both of them broke the line of sight and booked it down a backalley. Jackson broke ahead and climbed up a wall. She extended her hand to the major who grabbed it and she was lifted up. Now they were running along rooftops, having escaped the forces on the ground. With the vertical advantage, they had a chance to escape their pursuers.

"_Jackson, Major, I have your position and I can direct you now. I see that you're taking the rooftop approach._"

"It's a way to beat the traffic." Samantha said hopping over a small gap.

"_Do you see a building with a trapezoidal roof and two guard towers on both ends? Look to the South_."

They turned their heads and looked. They found it, and it was only three hundred meters distant. They just had to sprint that distance, on the roof or not. NICOLE would be able to transmit tactical data, but for the most part, it seemed like a straight shot.

* * *

Chris fired his shotgun at an approaching guard. The weapon sounded like a whip snapping, only a little bit of compressed gas shot the rubber slug at the guard who caught it in his shoulder. He spun around to the ground and another round ensured he wasn't getting up any time soon.

"Allen, you want a weapon?"

"Just a baton." Roan answered.

"Really? No gun?" Chris asked, surprised.

"You're cleaning up. I don't want anything lethal in the air right now."

"Suit yourself." Vennettilli said shrugging.

"_We're nearly at the gate!_" NICOLE said.

Chris nodded. "Radio the girls and tell them we're coming to meet them."

"_I'll do that…wait, they're coming right at us!_"

"Excuse me?"

* * *

"_Jackson, Hera! Pull back! They have guards in the towers!_"

The warning came too late. The girls were in the sights of two snipers in the towers, and the minute that Allen and Chris exited the building, they crossed a lockdown trip-wire. In all honesty, they probably didn't even expect it in such a pitifully built structure. Five more guards came behind them and grabbed the gun. Chris punched one out but he received a baton in the ribs and another in his leg. He went down clutching them and groaning in pain.

Allen saw what happened and dropped the baton, but was hit anyway. His left leg was hit, and likewise he was on the ground in agony.

"_Throw down your weapons now!_" one of the snipers commanded. "_Do it or we will fire_!"

Samantha and Abigail obviously didn't want to die, so they lowered the guns. Before they could put their hands up however, both guns barked and rubber bullets hit them in the abdomen. They both pitched simultaneously and hit the ground wriggling. Guards were there with weapons drawn. A big man with a cigarette behind his ear kicked Samantha over.

"So close." He said in heavily accented English. "You were so close to meeting with your friends. I think they were able to free themselves without you. Now what are you? Are you aliens? You look like the little woodland creatures!" Some men laughed. The big guard smiled. "Can you speak my language?"

Samantha shot him the finger which caused the guards to laugh. The big one stomped his boot on her face and she stopped moving.

"Take them all to the king. I think he would want to have a word with these ingrates."

They were all put in handcuffs. Some of the guards that were shot with the riot shotguns made sure that Chris and Allen's bonds were _extra_ tight. Samantha was slung over a guard's shoulders and Hera was followed at gunpoint. They marched around the prison complex and straight into an official looking building. When they opened the door, it was clear that this was furnished with some of Talahan's most expensive wares. Exuberant pre-war carpets and paintings hung on the walls and smartly uniformed guards stood at the ready. At the far end was a curling staircase that was lavishly constructed. They highly doubted this all was lifted and was in fact _furnished after the war ended_.

They went up the staircase to the right.

"What, was the left not appealing?" Allen asked and received a gun butt to the back of the head. He staggered for a second but kept on walking spitting blood on the precious, precious carpets.

Eventually either side met at a set of double doors which probably met at a throne room. They opened the doors to a roaring fireplace with holographic suits of armour and replica weapons on the walls. A few of Talahan's indigenous creatures were hanging on the wall; their heads mostly. Some of the toothiest on the rock; the spectrewing, the lycan prowler, the ever effective grey wolf, and even a grizzly bear from the colder taiga forests.

"He gets out, doesn't he?" Hera whispered. "I think he'd put our heads there as well."

"Don't give them ideas, major." Chris whispered.

They stopped and the prisoners were tossed forward. Jackson was unceremoniously tossed on the floor. She still hadn't woken up.

"_Kingesse, noi intrudeskí pa voi_."

King Blaine had his back to them as he was looking at a fire. His hand waved in the air. "_Desmishe. Va plesé._"

The guards nodded and left the room, closing it behind them.

As soon as the door closed, Blaine turned to face them. His shaved head shone in the firelight and he wore a suit and tie that seemed oddly under-classed for someone known as a king. Then again, anybody can be king.

"My visitors," He addressed. "it appears that you seem to be causing some, _disruptions_ among the populace." He pointed at Vennettilli and Roan. "You two have a knack for getting information in the most grisly of ways. Now you two…" He said pointing to Samantha and Hera, "… what are you? Some sort of genetic offspring? You are a rabbit and you are clearly a fox. Were you made?"

"No. We're Mobians." Hera said with pride. "We evolved from simple animals and created civilization."

"Oh, don't bore me with your historic regurgitations; it doesn't make for interesting conversation. Now, to matters of importance: What do I personally have to do to you? I think you've upset the balance of what my city stands for."

"Your 'city' is nothing but a giant slum." Allen said with bite. "You herd your citizens and say that you're the link to God. You're a cheat and liar."

"Well I have worked exceptionally hard to become so." Blaine said with what sounded like satisfaction in his voice. He came close to Vennettilli. "What is that around your neck?" He grabbed Chris' dogtags and held them to see. He looked at the Eagle and stepped back. "UNSC. It all makes sense now. You're here to get information. Well, I will not delay you. I've been waiting a long time."

Abigail shook her head for a second, "Eh, what?"

* * *

The jungle was as calm as could be. The night was warm and sticky in the trees. Some small lizards climbed the branches, sniffing for prey in the air, and a flock of skeleton-like birds made a deathly, screeching call to the night. All of this was shattered when the whining of an engine pierced the night. A military craft cut through the air and flexed its wings. Its jet black appearance blended into the jungle and before it even touched down, it dropped ten twisted human beings and half a dozen armed commando units. These trained soldiers were armed with suppressed rifles and sported black armor, and their goggles had red tint to discourage the curious. They chattered amongst themselves and the twisted ones took lead.

These men had been augmented beyond what was ethically correct. Locked in a suit of lightweight armour, their senses were boosted to incomprehensible levels, but in the process had their minds reduced to a broken shadow of its former self. They moved about with life-support equipment and neuroelectric monitoring devices grafted into their skin, talking to themselves, muttering death threats to nobody in particular, and their red-rimmed bloodshot eyes darted in the night, looking for something to track.

Soon, one began moving forwards, calling his brethren to him. They looked in the dirt and made growling noises. One of them lifted their heads up; his eyes glowing in the night and began to run off into the distance. The others followed and soon the soldiers ran after them.

ONI was on Talahan.


	12. Chapter 12: Gross Allegations

Chapter 12: Gross Allegations  
May 13th, 3239, 0243 hours  
Castle Acorn, Mobius

Sally walked alone down the halls of her own castle. She could not sleep and thought that a quick walk would clear her mind and get her back to bed. She wore a light jacket and jeans, as the night was a bit cold. She tugged on the jacket and looked through a window at the broken moon. She knew why she couldn't sleep. He was out there somewhere, and she could do nothing to help him.

A single man, no matter his accomplishments couldn't escape a fate such as the one in store for him, even with an accomplice; they wouldn't go far without help.

Normally she would have looked to NICOLE for comfort, but she realized that she sent the AI along with Chris to give him an edge.

Now she _really _felt alone.

She continued her walk down the corridor and into the Great Hall. A few Marines stood at attention. She knew that these men and women weren't as corrupted as the government that they worked for, but she couldn't look at them the same way right now, not while they were out there hunting the Captain.

She passed a few of them and a well-meaning PFC asked, "Morning, your Highness. Having trouble sleeping?"

She cleared he throat, making eye contact for a second. "I'm alright, Private. I just need a bit of a walk to clear my senses."

"Alright, but it's a little chilly out there."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

She walked right out the front door with two Mobian guards flanking her. They made no movements. Sally walked through the gardens looking at a few statues of Mobian icons. Sonic's marble gaze loomed in the stars. His statue was to commemorate all that he had done for this planet and the evils he ridded. Not too far from that, the warm smile of Matthew Mobius, the founder of the first colony here reached her. She reached to him for guidance. She felt that Mobius' spirit never really left this world and guided her. Maybe she had attended one too many sermons at the Church of the Ancients as a young child, but she felt that the guidance of this human was a welcoming thing in this strange time. Across from Matthew on the other side of the gardens was the perpetually lit Memorial Fire and around it stood marble carvings of Marines that had died in the Fort Acorn attack in 3234; the first attack by Robotnik against the UNSC. Of all places, this was where she went.

She looked at these men and women. She knew that these were nearly down to the minute detail of men and women she had once passed. Of course they were. They were 3-dimensional recreations of soldiers retrieved from boot camp databases and sculpted by robots. They had to be picture perfect.

She saw a few that caught her eye. Vere Kersiac, a human that died for her to escape. Vere died in Sally's arms and she never forgot the look as his life just left his body, and she was always thankful. She placed her hands on the statue's chest and spoke, "May Mobius guide you." She spotted several others including Norman Hecks and Hank Geri, both of which died under Chris' command, but Hecks had been with them the longest, succumbing to radiation. She never forgot his face as he wilted in front of her. And of course there were the dozens of men and women who couldn't even be recovered because they were flash vaporized in a second.

She wandered around the statue and was shocked to find Gerome Andsworth leaning on one of the figures with an ancient pipe in his hand. He was looking at the moon silently, but noticed the princess coming around.

"Your Highness. What are you doing out here?"

"I needed a walk." She said. "You?"

"Same. I couldn't sleep. It happens when you get older. Sometimes I feel that the cold air calms my nerves. What about you, did you have a nightmare?"

"Somewhat."

"I know what you're thinking of, and I'm telling you not to worry about it."

"Why? How can you be so sure that?"

He placed a heavy yet reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Because I know that in all the time that Vennettilli's been on my ship, he's done all he could to make it back in one piece, and against all odds, he does."

"But… how?"

Andsworth's dark eyes stared into hers. "You look at me as if I can give you the answer. I don't know how I can explain it! Advanced combat training? Sheer dumb luck? The power of love? What do you need me to say?"

"I just want you to tell me that it's OK." She blinked her eyes a quickly and tears stated to flow. The admiral put his arms around her and hugged her tight.

"It will be OK." He said.

"But I'm just so scared! It's not like when he was gone last time, I didn't care, but I'm going to _marry _him! I'm going spend the rest of my life with him. I'm going to…" She stopped herself. "I'm sorry, I'm just getting a bit flustered."

"Come on, I'll walk you back."

With Andsworth at her side, she felt a lot better. He was a friend of the family, a friend of Chris, and could even keep a secret. They walked through the gardens joking and chatting. She felt much better now and could possibly get a good night's sleep.

They reached the castle and strolled into the Great Hall. Sally took off her jacket and hung it in her arm. "When are you being rotated out?"

"Within this week." He said. "I still haven't gotten over the fact that I'm no longer at the helm of my old girl."

"She'll be in good hands." Sally assured. "I mean, the crew will look after her."

"Well the crew was really loyal to me. I knew everything about the bridge crew, where they came from and where what they liked to do. I doubt the next captain will be any bit as in-depth as I was."

"Of that I agree." Sally said nodding. "To be frank, you're something of an anomaly when it comes to naval officers."

"Thank you. I always wanted to make a splash."

"Well, I have to say the last couple of days have been a bit rough, but some of the guys have been trying to cheer me up. Just the other day, Ryan treated all of us to a Constantine dinner, and Johnson got a karaoke competition going."

"Who won?"

"Johnson." She giggled. "He does the best Barry White I have ever heard!"

"Well, you two seem to be having a lot of fun."

They turned to see President Marshall walking toward him with a wool sweater and bark pants on, drink in hand.

"Marshall…" Sally said with shock.

"Good morning, Mister President." Andsworth said. "What brings you-"

"What are you doing here?" Sally said beating him to the punch.

Marshall was ready for it. "Well your mother and father invited me here. We're investigating a trade issue involving the sector trade embargo with the Lyshad Collective. We're hoping that we can try to get some Mobian-made goods out there and get some revenue for the planet. My goodness, you keep getting lovelier and lovelier every time I see you." He kissed her hand, but she only did it to keep up appearances. A fire burned inside her but she curbed it for the time being.

"And to you Mr. President, you look very stunning in that sweater."

"You like it? It's genuine wool, right from Austria! I personally don't fancy all of these synthetic fabrics and I feel the best touch comes from natural materials. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh yes."

Andsworth came in, "I do have to say, Mister President, you look awfully dapper."

Marshall smiled. "Why thank you Gerome. I'll have to send you one for Christmas. Everybody loves a good sweater."

Sally decided to change the odd topic. "Why are you out here? It's nearly three in the morning."

"Well I could ask the same question to you, but I'll indulge: I have developed a case of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. It's not serious, but I find myself up later than I would like. I woke up to get a breather and give myself a sedative."

"In a glass of mint vodka." Sally said with an amused look.

"It'll put me down one way or another." He gave a laugh. Sally smiled but didn't laugh with him.

"Well, you know, I'll be busy tomorrow. Your father and I are going to be discussing some important things that'll help the Mobians in the long run. By the way, will I be able to meet your boyfriend Sonic?"

Sally crossed her arms. "Sonic and I aren't really a couple anymore. We moved on."

Marshall had a shocked look on his face that was too good to be true. "Oh. I'm sorry. People can be strange things to work with. We all have had difficulties with someone. Ah well, I'd like to see him just the same. He's something of a hero isn't he?"

"Yes he is; the bravest warrior on Mobius."

"I'm looking forward to it. Highness, I take my leave of you; Andsworth, have a good night, and good luck in the Schwarzschild Black Hole Expanse."

"Happy to be a part of the team sir. The _Burro_ is a fine ship."

As soon as he walked away, Andsworth's ass-kisser smile disappeared. "Prick." He said out of the corner of his moustache.

Sally sensed that something was wrong. It helped that Marshall was wearing a wool sweater, because she knew there was a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Something's wrong."

"What's wrong, Princess?" Andsworth asked, also sensing something was amiss.

"Hang on, Admiral. I'll be right back."

"Be careful, young lady."

"After all I've been through; this should be a walk in the park." She winked and was off, leaving Andsworth to shake his head with a smile.

* * *

Sally got a running start and climbed up a wall, using her boot soles for friction. Balancing carefully, she leapt from outcropping to outcropping with the grace of an assassin, making as little sound as she could. Eventually she caught sight of Marshall. Holding her breath, she dropped behind him and hid around a corner. Her boot toe scraped on the floor with a small squeal. Marshall became spooked for a second and whipped around.

"Hello?"

There was nothing; absolute silence.

Marshall took a drink and continued. Sally mentally kicked herself and tried not to make any further sounds. She decided the best place to be was above the President. Looking around, she found a pillar with some exposed pegs. She climbed these like a ladder and found herself hopping from chandelier to chandelier. This was a risky move as the slightest motion could cause the while structure to jingle. Thankfully she had this under control and stalked her target successfully. Marshall made a right at the next intersection and paused in front of a balcony.

_The Delegate Suites are three hundred feet down the hall. What's he doing, admiring the moonlight?_

She really wished she had NICOLE with her for advice.

Two figures walked down the hall. One of them was a wiry looking man with thick glasses. The other was a Mobian bat. Rouge. The pair were in conversation before turning to meet Marshall.

"Mister President?" The wiry man said.

"Tudyk. Nice of you to meet me." He looked at the bat. "Agent Rouge. I trust your injuries are quite healed now?"

"Vennettilli got a few good punches in there, but I'm ready for duty." She said with a smile. She wore a skin-tight bodysuit made out leather with the ONI patch stamped on her right breast and multiple ammo packs were scattered all over her body.

"Well, I trust that you have information for me on that particular subject."

"Indeed we do, Mister President." Tudyk said. "Rouge, fill him in about the failed subjects."

"Alright, this data comes right from the Blackgate facility orbiting Jupiter: Almost all attempts to access the information locked in other potential leads' brains have failed miserably. The researchers have determined that there's a cypher that must be obtained before we can even begin to decode the information."

"How many subjects are alive?"

"None." Rouge said; eyes tilted towards the floor. "They all died."

Marshall nodded. "Good, that way when we bring Vennettilli in, we won't accidently kill him trying to get the info. Have you determined what the cypher is?"

"No, sir." Rouge said. "It could be anything."

Marshall cursed. "Alright, tell them to keep trying to find a way."

"Will do, Mr. President." Rouge nodded.

Tudyk interrupted. "We also have confirmation that our hunter-killer teams have arrived in the Talahan system. The Stalkers are on the ground. The Captain is ours."

Sally felt a lump grow in her throat. They knew where Chris was. She had to get a message to him somehow. She waited for Marshall and Tudyk to go down the hall and drop down behind Rouge.

"Good morning, Rouge." Sally said.

The bat nearly jumped off the ground. Her wings extended and she clutched her heart. She gasped for a second, but composed herself.

"Princess! What are you doing? Do you know what time it is?"

"I could ask you the same question, Agent Rouge."

"Well, I was just heading off to bed. Just let me through…"

Sally grabbed Rouge's shoulder and slammed her into the wall.

"The Hunter-Killers! WHERE ARE THEY?"

"I don't know anything about that!"

Then Rouge felt something that she never thought she would: She felt Sally's hand wrap around her neck. She was so surprised with this she didn't even react for a second, but when she felt her windpipe closing, she started squirming.

"Stop that!"

"Tell me about the Hunter-Killers!"

She started to choke. When she went for her gun, Sally pinned the hand to the wall.

"Stop! Alright!"

She let her hand go. "Start talking."

"The Hunter-Killer squads are genetically altered soldiers and mental patients. The soldiers are already pretty strong, but the Stalkers are hyper-augmented people that are so far gone that they're twisted. Their skeletons are barely keeping together. They're the best trackers. Better than Mobians, better than any alien out there. I've seen them, and they scare the hell out of me."

"How long have these things been around?"

"The Stalkers? A few months, close to New Year's."

Sally cursed. "You really don't know what this cypher is?"

"No."

"We need to warn Christopher."

"How? The Hunter-Killers are already in the system."

"NICOLE has an FTL COM unit. Chris is smart. He'll be under, far away from his ship. Let's go."

"Sally." Rouge said grabbing the princess' hand. "I was going to send him the message anyway."

"You were?"

The bat smiled. "You can trust me on this one, Sal."

Sally also smiled. "Come on, we'll have to go to Ops for this call."


	13. Chapter 13: Shout in the Jungle

Chapter 13: A Shout in the Jungle  
May 13th, 3239, 0300 hours  
Kingdom of Blaine, Dorsum Province  
Talahan V

It was dumbfounding the way that Blaine was suddenly acting, and it caught everyone off-guard.

"Could you say that again?" Roan asked.

"I said you have important things to do! God's sake, don't tell me you're gloating!" the King said.

"What about?" Chris asked.

"Look, I know you ONI agents have a cushy little desk job somewhere, but I've been stuck in this place for six years! You don't know what that's like, not having contact with the rest of the organization."

"You're ONI?" the Captain asked, playing it up. He knew a weak link in the chain when he saw one.

"Yes, long-term insertion team. And who are you?"

"Section 3." Chris quickly reported. "We're here to monitor your progress."

"You're very subtle in your approach, Mister…"

"_Captain_ Frank Underhill." Chris improvised. "My name's Underhill."

King Blaine nodded. "Underhill."

"This is Agent Kathrin Chicolini" he said nodding to Hera, "Agent KITFOX." Nodding to Samantha, "And this is my very good friend and Agent, Mister Kayzer Söze." He said placing a hand on Roan's shoulder.

Hera crossed her arms. "Now we've told you who we are, who are you?"

Blaine paced. "I am Agent BRUTUS. I'm with Section 2, Propaganda and Espionage."

_Brutus_

Roan said, "Can you clarify your mission to us? In the little haste of our predicament, we forgot the details."

BRUTUS smiled. "Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?" Vennettilli asked.

"Ask me how I knew you were with ONI, Mister Underhill."

"Alright, indulge me."

BRUTUS paced again. "Well, you're definitely not with the UNSC. You're too smart for them. No self-respecting military force would throw four people into a mission and come out alive, and you're not Special Forces because you're hardly armed to the teeth. You orchestrated your little jailbreak to get to me. Ingenious."

It was actually Jackson who thought, _I think King Blaine's been breathing in that fresh jungle air for too long_.

Even though his judgement and deduction skills were _way_ off the mark, Chris smiled, playing to BRUTUS as if he was correct. It worked the entire better to sell their deception. "You're amazing."

"I try." The king said, "Now, Agent Underhill, you wished to hear the information that I was able to dig up?"

"That would be nice."

"I was stationed here six years ago before the end of the Talahan War. I'm sure you remember it?"

"Yes." Chris said with hidden ire.

"Well, ONI stationed me here for some project. Wasn't until a dead drop with another agent that I was able to put the pieces together. I was instructed to monitor the people on Talahan should we win the war. As you know, Fukoma went under and we won the war. Then my real mission began: I was to unite the Talahan people as a leader and gather who the rebel leaders were."

"Then what?" Jackson asked.

"Well, my mission was to make sure everything was in order and wait for ONI Agents to authorize the next part of my assignment. Well, I've been waiting for six years, living like a god, and now, the next part of my mission can begin. I'm going to start a war with the UNSC."

Now they finally understood the name. BRUTUS, the man who stabbed Ceaser, his own friend, in the back. This agent was doing his job and leading these citizens into a war that he knew they could not win. Maybe that was the point.

"Who authorized this mission?"

"Is this important?"

"Agent BRUTUS." Chris began, "in order for me to correctly file my report, I will need to know who authorized your original mission. Can you help me out so I don't have as much paperwork to worry about when I go back to Seattle?"

BRUTUS sat down in his chair. "I was originally given the assignment by General Assembly Minister Troy Marshall.

That was a major kick to the gut. To find out that Marshall was behind a plot to start a war was just shocking. These were innocent people and he wanted to _finish the job_ or something like that!

"He's president now."

"Really! Did he defeat Cleary?"

"Cleary's dead."

"Vice President Vanderbilt?

"Dead too." Hera said sombrely

"Oh God. I voted for him."

"Yeah, just a lot of bad news today, huh?"

* * *

The Stalkers were getting excited. They had picked up a scent and had started to bark like dogs. Their augmented eyes scanned the jungle, looking for anything that resembled their target. They no longer functioned like Human beings and more like feral animals. They gave mechanical hoots and growls. Their handlers – big-muscled men who wore bulky armour and glowing visors – were hot behind them, not slowing, not even stumbling. Their mission was one of capture, and elimination should their target prove 'uncooperative'.

The Stalkers tore through the night, on the border of the city walls. A guard saw them jump from the shadows, but one of the biomechanical monsters ran into him, pinning the guard against the wall, and then the creatures snapped his neck. The guard dropped without a sound and the stalkers entered the city, Special Forces soldiers right behind them.

"Cartride casings." One of them reported.

"Medium. Suggests assault weapons." The commander analyzed.

"Agreed." The second in command reported

"Prognosis?"

"Identify and Neutralize." the leader said.

A Stalker with red chevrons painted on his chest armour hopped and pounded the ground. "Move! Kill! Suck the life from their bones!" he said with a screeching upward inflection. "We go!"

"Stalkers proving impatient." The leader said.

"Affirmative; recommend proceeding with assault."

"Logical. Dispersing now."

The soldiers broke into two teams sprinting through the night towards King Blaine's castle. People were too scared to come out and check. The few guards who were unfortunate enough to come poking around had the pleasure of being pounced on by the ecstatic Stalkers and having their faces punched until they stopped moving. Their bloodlust was getting stronger. They had been promised that they could rip their targets apart and beat them with their severed limbs. The soldiers promised it, and the Stalkers liked having their promises kept.

* * *

"So, what's your plan, BRUTUS? How can you start a war on a whim?"

The ONI agent thought about it. "Well, I will need to contact a few people. There are some who are edging for another war. This is to extract the rebel leaders among the population with soured thoughts of the United Earth Government. Once we draw them out, we can start a 'war' that will destroy them. Actually I wouldn't even call it a 'war'; I would call it a 'contained conflict'. The rebels don't have starships, they don't have any form of FTL flight. They're just a bunch of hicks that have been in the jungle too long. I estimate that this 'war' will barely last longer than a month, a month and a half at the most."

Hera had a shocked look on her face, "There are innocent people here. You might want to find the rebel leaders, but you'll also kill hundreds if they rally?"

"You have to make sacrifices to find a cause. You ever hear of a man named Martin Lowman?"

"No." the Captain said.

"He lived in the late 23rd Century; Lowman once said that a civilization could only survive if they were to root out the one thing that could destroy it. The Romans fell because of internal issues. We are threatened by the same thing. If we can destroy this, we have a chance of surviving."

"A vaunted philosophy." Jackson scoffed.

Suddenly, BRUTUS had a strange look in his eye and put his hand behind his back. "I'm starting to think…" he stepped closer to the group, who took a step back. "…that you don't look like the people that I was expecting."

"You're mistaken, we're agents…!"

"Mister 'Underhill', I think that you and your little group of friends seem to be lying to me. You aren't agents. You don't understand the view we're coming from; you're spies."

He pulled from behind his back a small-caliber pistol and pointed it at the group. "You will put your hands on your head; I will call the guards, and you will return to your cells.

There were battle tactics going through everyone's minds. How could they proceed? It was probable if they tried to move at all, Blaine could get a shot or two off and hit the Captain, who was front and center.

Hera couldn't have that. Her plan was to go with Blaine's orders just to avoid one of them ending up in a morgue somewhere. Jackson and Roan were thinking the exact same thing: they could try to run at the agent and attempt to tackle him, but would someone get shot before that? In the end, it was Vennettilli that said, "Stand down."

That was a kick in the head.

"What?" Jackson exclaimed. "You want to go _back_ to prison?"

"You want to go in a cell where we have a chance, or would you like to end up in a shallow grave in the jungle somewhere?"

Jackson hung her head and her ears fell. "Fuck!" She said.

"I'm sorry." The human said.

Roan nodded, submitting. "We got out once; we can do it again."

BRUTUS smiled in an evil way. "I'll see to it that you won't."

Chris stepped forward. "You know, the brass at ONI named you well. You really are stabbing people in the back, aren't you?"

"I do what I must to get paid. You know what that's like, right?"

The door behind them exploded in a shower of wood and metal. Black-armored soldiers filed in with assault rifles raised, barking orders to each other. Flanking them were the scariest humans that they had ever seen. Twisted, confined to armor, and downright crazy.

"Freeze!" One of the soldiers called.

"Weapon!" Another one said, noticing the gun in BRUTUS' hand. "Fire!"

The guns flared, and before the ONI agent could even explain what was going on, three dozen bullets entered his body and made him recoil like a dancer. The rounds stopped, he placed a hand to one of the many in his chest, looked at the blood on it, and fell flat on his face.

At once, the gang was up, Hera and Jackson led them as they ran for the windows. They were structurally the weakest point on the building and the most logical escape point. They didn't know how high they were off the ground, but anything was better than here.

"Halt!"

"Screw you!" Hera screamed, wanting to get as far away from the deformed killers as she possibly could.

The glass gave way and they free-fell. They then saw that they were about twenty feet above the ground. It wasn't very high, but they did feel the impact, but it was Jackson that landed off balance. Her foot snapped to one side and an audible crack was heard. She gasped and rolled, grabbing her left foot.

"Help!" She screamed. "It's broken!"

One of the feral Humans jumped from the window and landed behind Jackson. It grabbed her foot and jerked it around, as if to break it off entirely. Roan wasn't about to let this happen. He ran back, tackled the creature, wrapped arms around its neck and snapped it quickly. Before Jackson could say anything, Allen lifted her onto his shoulder and started running.

"We need weapons!" Chris said.

"Yeah, but they're gone!" Allen answered.

"_Gentlemen, there is a corpse of a guard up ahead. I see there is an LG-494 Assault Carbine. You are free to pick it up, but I detect only twenty rounds in its magazine._"

Chris grabbed the gun and sighted it, taking into account the strange diamond-shaped ironsight. They were charging at him. He needed to slip into deep concentration here, he needed to slip into Conditioned Awareness, but they were running too fast. He fired a three round burst that slammed into a charging runner's head, causing it to drop midstride. He altered his aim and hit a second in an arm, which made it trip and fall. The third got five rounds in its face, spattering blood on Vennettilli's face.

"That was easy." He lied. He was terrified for a second. That last one was too close to him, but now the Special Forces soldiers ran after him. They weren't Marines. They had huge muscles that barely fit in their armour and a patch with a black horse within a lightning bolt revealed a lot: These were men from the 142nd Army Regiment out of Bianca Del Toro, but they had so many chemicals put into them they were practically Spartans. Chris actually suspected Rumbledrugs were involved, which increased physical activity to dangerous levels, but they had found a way to keep them standing long enough to gun down their enemies.

"Surrender!"

"I'm tired of this!" He aimed his gun and fired one shot right at the leader's visor. The bullet ricocheted off three centimeters before it touched the man.

"They have shields!" He screamed. He dropped the gun and ran full-tilt into the jungle.

* * *

He caught up to the guys outside the border of the city.

"You don't think they're angry that you killed their pet, Captain?" Hera asked.

"Oh no, they're angry alright." Chris said honestly.

"Where did we park the ship?" Jackson asked, but it was tough to take her question seriously since when they turned to talk all they could see was her ass.

"You didn't get the light-blinker keys?" Chris asked with a small smile.

"No actually, I passed them up for the fuzzy dice." Allen fired back.

"There's the jeep!" Hera said pointing with joy. The jungle transport was still there, covered in a natural tarp of leaves and twigs. She wiped those off and started the engine. The lights turned on and the others got in. Roan put Samantha in the passenger seat while he and Chris got in the back.

"Go now!" The Captain ordered.

Abigail hit the gas and the transport leapt forward. The tires spun, catching the dirt and throwing it up. Soon, they were up to speed.

"NICOLE I need you to give me a route to the ship." The Mobian major said.

"_I've found it. I can display the route on my console via holographic GPS._"

"Do it."

Chris opened NICOLE's shell and activated the hologram. NICOLE's lynx avatar was replaced with a topographical map that showed their position and the best route they should take to get there.

"_ETA to the _Emerald Fox_ is fifteen minutes at current speed, assuming of course, the major doesn't develop an affinity for hitting trees_."

"I'm no tree-hugger, NICOLE." Hera said, swerving to avoid a group of palms.

Chris found an SMG recovered from the Keating base and slapped a magazine into it. He racked the slide and hefted it in their reverse direction. Sure enough, he saw pinpoints of light as the soldiers came to get them. Chris knew that firing at them was nearly useless as they possessed Forerunner-strength shields, but the hoverbikes they were on were not bulletproof.

These bikes were based on Ghosts from the Covenant Remnant, except with human flair like rearview mirrors, handlebars, and even a faux engine sound for those who wanted it. Now, these strange soldiers had weapons too and they were firing in a pretty tight spread considering they were moving, firing on a moving target whilst accounting for bounces in the ground.

Chris aimed his SMG at the headlights and blew them out. Soon, the hoverbike swerved and hit a tree. Another came to take its place, but it too eventually shut down from all the bullet-holes. The driver was ejected and he flew thirty feet before rolling to a stop.

"Click it or Ticket, my friend!" Chris joked.

It seemed that these guys have had enough and called their ship from orbit. It blended into the night, but strong spotlights searched the jungle floor. A second later, it caught them. The light was looking at the jungle jeep and refused to disappear.

They were approaching the Keating base. Suddenly, NICOLE spoke up.

"_I'm within Keating's wi-fi circle! I'm going to override and take control of its defenses!_"

"This is gonna be good!" Chris laughed.

The Anti-Air turrets that guarded the entrance of the Keating base whirred to life after three years of inactivity and targeted the black stealth ship. Deep thumping sounded throughout the valley that scared birds as the guns fired. 120mm artillery-grade shells shot at the stealth ship, causing shimmering shields to erupt. After thirty seconds of sustained fire, the shield shattered in a flash of light and ionized air. Now the hull was taking damage. Explosions dotted the body of the ship, and soon, it was forced to pull back, but not before one of its external engines burst into flames. The ship arced across the sky and fell into the distance. The ground rumbled and a cloud of smoke rose into the sky.

"Superior firepower! It's a beautiful thing!" Roan said.

Vennettilli didn't feel guilty about destroying this ship. They had fired on the group with the intent of killing them. According to his military training, anybody who was shooting at him were his targets, and since he was officially no longer part of the UNSC, he was free to engage to his heart's content.

"Hey, you think they'll tell on us?" Chris asked.

NICOLE laughed. "_Unless they happen to find an FTL COM station nearby, I think these bad guys are going to be here a long time_."

"It's never too late to go native." Jackson joked, despite her twisted foot.

* * *

Hera didn't take her foot off the gas until their ship was in sight. They ditched the car and ran on board, and soon, she was in low orbit.

"Thrusters holding us at gyosynch. Ready to plot a course." Hera reported. "Do we leave the system?"

Allen shook his head. "No, I think we owed the Captain something."

Samantha shook her head and swallowed a painkiller. "Yeah, our little way of saying that we care.

* * *

_COMMAND MASTER CORPORAL CHARLES DEAN MADISON, 182__nd__ MARINE INFANTRY DIVISION. _

_05/22/3214 - 05/16/3233 KIA~1540hours_

That's what the gravestone said. It was a pitiful piece of mass-produced stone with traced and carved letters on it. It didn't do the men and women who lay in these graves justice. Some of the markers were there in place of a body in case none had been recovered. All around his old headquarters where the 182nd Marine Infantry Division was kept, hundreds of gravestones had been erected. Bowman was right.

His thoughts went to Colonel Bowman for a second, and Chris wondered if the man had chosen to escape with his friend or chose to remain in his cell. He pondered this and wondered if he really made the difference offering the man choice. It didn't matter. All that did matter was that he did, regardless of outcome. His mind then got back on track. He stared at the ground in front of the gravestone and realized that there was no earth mound.

Someone had disturbed this grave. He sighed heavily and came to the conclusion that Chuck's body was no longer here, and he knew for a fact that he hadn't been sent home to be given the funeral he deserved. Someone had taken the body.

Chris took off his hat, looked into space and blinked his eyes quickly as tears started to form. Figures. Here he was, dozens of light-years from home, coming to pay his respects to his oldest friend, only to find out that someone had stolen his body from rest. It was very sad for the young man to endure. He couldn't even say goodbye to him.

Chris did see the graves of other people he knew, the body of Lieutenant Kapplin, with a few beautiful flowers growing out of his grave, and Sid Romano, who had taken a sniper's bullet to the head. He did stay one minute over their graves before moving on, giving one final salute to the men he once called brothers. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked to see two of Talahan's moons over the Command center. It was very picturesque. He had heard of something called the 'sublime' that could only be found in nature' an endless supply of beauty that would cause a reaction of awe in whoever saw it.

This was sublime. This was beauty.

NICOLE buzzed in his ear. "_Captain, am I disturbing you_?"

"No, not at all, NICOLE."

"… _Did you find your friend's body_?"

"No. It's not here."

She was silent for a second. "_I'm sorry. I know he meant a lot to you._"

"NICOLE, I'm fine." The young man said. "Did you need me for something?"

"_We just received an FTL message. Well, I did anyway. I think it's Sally!_"

His heart lifted. "I'll be right there!

* * *

They listened to the message intently. The beginning was simple. Sally and Rouge were in Ops in Castle Acorn where they told him about the hunter-killer teams. The Hunters were the big beefcake soldiers, and the Stalkers were the mental cyborgs. Everything she was telling was worthless though because they had already encountered them. Then, they got to something else that changed everything.

"_I've done a bit of looking around._" Sally's hologram said. "_I've figured out that this information that you have in your head is locked, and it needs to be unlocked by something called the _cypher_._"

"_Problem is,_" Rouge's holo added, "_we still have no idea what it is. Marshall's men have been going through potential leads like Sonic through a chilli dog convention. Things aren't looking good, but he's sure not to make the same mistakes as you. You're worth a hundred of these men to him. Find out what that cypher is. I can upload all of the data gathered from the Blackgate Research Facility in orbit around Jupiter. That way, you can stand a fair chance, or at least have something to go off of_."

"_You're getting close_." Sally said. "_Attention here has been coming off of you, but you're still pretty high on the priority list. The news reports still have you at large and have pinned the destruction of the _Elijah Jones_ on you. I know you didn't do it, but you have a bounty now. Whatever you do, _stay away_ from Earth and Mobius until you have this entire thing figured out!_"

Chris nodded as if she could see him.

"_Now, If I know the Captain, he will have some troops with him. Can you please leave? Pause the message until they disperse_." Sally said with a warm smile.

Vennettilli did so. "You heard her, guys. Get ready to fire the engines."

They left, leaving the Captain alone in the COM room.

"NICOLE, go do a diagnostic and disregard this message. I'd like a little privacy."

"_Understood. I'm gone_."

He made sure by sealing off the room he was in and making sure the ship's firewalls were in place. Satisfied, he tapped the 'PLAY' button to continue the message. Sally was now all alone as well.

"_I'm glad you're alone. I have so many things I want to tell you, so many things I want to say to your face, but you're not here. You can't, and that worries me. I can't bear to ask you for a response because it could risk your safety, and I couldn't put you through that sort of thing. Everyone misses you, even Sonic. He's been very concerned, which is a bit uncharacteristic considering how he feels about you. He means well though._" She sniffed, and the fur around her eyes got damp. "_I just want you to hold me again! I want you to hug me and tell me it's alright! I'm scared! I'm scared and I don't know what to do!_"

"I'm scared too, babe." Chris whispered, hoping by some miracle the message would respond to him.

"_Your birthday's coming up soon. You're going to be 25, and I'll be 24 in July! I hope you're back before then! That way we can have a party for you. Then, we can talk about everything you're missing!"_

She sniffed again and wiped her nose with her sleeve.

"_Don't leave me waiting. It's not like last time where I thought I lost you. I know you're out there now. Just please, please don't respond. I couldn't give you away. Just come back. Come back and solve this whole thing like I know you can. I love you._"

"I love you so much." He said with a somber voice. He could only sit there and watch as she cried and there wasn't a thing in the world he could be able to do about it.

He couldn't stand seeing her upset, so he shut down the message.

"_Captain_?"

His hands balled into fists. "How long were you here for NICOLE?"

"_The whole message. I'm sorry, I had to know._"

"Why?"

Her hologram appeared in full color. She walked around the room and looked at Chris. "You're really lucky to know her." NICOLE said.

"I know. I miss her so much."

"I know. I do too. I love her."

Vennettilli could have sworn he saw a holographic tear roll down her face.

"You know, if I could have given you a hug… you look like you need one."

"Yes."

He tried, and was surprised to feel resistance as his hands went around her 'body'. "I can feel the warmth."

"What was that?"

"Technology I've been tinkering with, forming force fields to give me the illusion of being solid. It's nice to know you care."

"Of course I do. I do…"

He ran back to the console and started typing a message. It was short, but it was all he needed to say. He selected an address from previous arrivals and sent it on his way.

"You care." NICOLE said smiling.

* * *

They exited the COM room, NICOLE's hologram at his side. As long as he wore her computer on his belt, NICOLE would be able to take form within 50 feet.

"So now we need to get this cypher." She said.

"Yeah, but I have no idea where to look." Vennettilli admitted. "I don't even know where to begin."

Suddenly, NICOLE stopped. "Wait, you remember the theory on how the Chaos Emeralds were said to have been used by the Forerunners?"

"Yes."

"If they stored the data in the Chaos Emeralds which jumped to your head, wouldn't it be logical that the Forerunners would know how to get into it?"

It dawned on him. Yes, yes they would! Forerunners were said to be the kings of implanting information within people's heads, even genetically over generations! This had to be the cypher. But where would they need to go?"

"We need to go someplace where we can find something to do with the Forerunners."

NICOLE stood still as data streamed all over her body. Her ears twitched and her eyes were closed. "Accessing star charts…" Her eyes opened and she grinned. "You're in luck, Captain. To the bridge!"

The others regarded NICOLE with surprise for a second as her full-size hologram walked onto the bridge as if she were organic. "Take us up." She ordered.

The engines whined to life as the _Emerald Fox_ rose over the jungle canopy towards space.

"Did you have your alone time?" Hera asked, buckling in.

"Yes." Chris said. "We'll leave it at that."

The ship then broke through the atmosphere. "Do we have a course?" the major asked.

"Indeed." NICOLE said with hands behind her back. "Inputting the co-ordinates for Installation 05."

"Where are we headed?" Allen asked, making sure that he heard what was being said.

"You needed Forerunner technology Chris; we'll go to the technology." The AI said with a smug grin.

The _Emerald Fox _sliced open space-time, revealing the black of Slipspace. They coasted inside and were flung across the stars.

* * *

Sally was brushing her hair in the morning light. She had slept well knowing that her message was away. The one thing that she couldn't get off her mind was that she deliberately told him not to send a response back. She knew that it wasn't the right thing to say, but she needed to protect him. She sighed. It was a big sacrifice, but she was willing to make it.

Her computer pinged, signalling a new message. She almost called for NICOLE to open it, but she remembered she wasn't there. She grabbed her datapad and signed in to see the new message. A smile broke out across her face and a single tear fell on the datapad.

**_Don't stop believing in me. _**

**_I Love You _**

**_-C._**


	14. Chapter 14: Installation 05

Chapter 14: Installation 05  
May 18th, 3239, 1341 hours  
Substance System  
Gas giant Substance

/Begin Entry/

For approximately five days we have been on a Slipspace jump spanning hundreds of lightyears. Five hundred years ago, this jump would have taken months; causing them to go into cryo. Thankfully, it was only a span of five days. We've been trying to keep ourselves busy on this ship, waiting to see if some sort of message would be arriving, but no message could be received when a ship is transitioning between FTL and Realspace. Our supplies are still doing relatively well. We have enough food and water to last us at least another month in space, so we might want to think of finding some fringe space station where little UNSC presence is, because my picture has been plastered all over every image-board, telephone pole and milk carton in the galaxy. I AM America's Most Wanted.

But why Installation 05? I have never seen a Halo before, only heard about them in the history textbooks. But what I heard is that hundreds of year ago, I-05, also known as Delta Halo was ravaged by the Flood, and the old Covenant Hegemony had to let them and not glass the place due to religious dogma on the matter. When the Battle of Installation 00 occurred in 2552, the Gravemind was killed, as it had been on High Charity, the old Covenant's holy city when it crashed on the Ark's surface.

We've re-terraformed it with the help of Forerunner technology and the ring's own self-repair system helped us, and we established several research outposts and settlements on the inner ring, although the environment is peaceful and the Sentinels don't harm us, I can't help but think that this is some form of cosmic trespassing.

/End Entry/

Chris ran his hand along his now-covered chin. He hadn't shaved for over a week and his beard had almost fully grown out. He barely looked like the man he once was when he first boarded this ship, which was only a couple weeks ago. His hair was still short enough that it wouldn't move when combing, but he no longer could feel very much of a breeze on his crown.

The truth was Chris was impressed by his own beard-growing speed. He never got the chance to test it due to the military's strict policy on facial hair. Now that he was a government fugitive, he could grow it out as long as he wanted. It started to actually annoy some of his crew-mates, especially at lunch. They were sitting down to enjoy some sandwiches, pasta, and salad in the small mess hall when they found Chris stroking his beard thoughtfully.

'For God's sake, give it a rest, man!" Roan said with a piece of cucumber halfway to his mouth. "It's just a beard!"

"I never had the chance to grow one! Shut up!" Chris said

"He's got a point, Captain." Hera said. "I've got more hair than you and you keep on showing that thing off as if it was your first born child."

"Hang on." Chris said. "No, you filthy rotten liar; _you_ have fur. I don't! You have the option of not wearing clothes. I _have_ to in order not to be arrested, so I think a beard is something that trumps fur."

"Oh God, he's developed a Beard Complex." Roan groaned.

"What is the MATTER with you? Listen, I can understand that if you can't grow one, that's fine; but don't rain on my parade!"

"Listen here, Commander Riker," Jackson said. "You've got to be suffering from one of the most potent cases of boredom I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing. Shut up about the beard, or I will sneak into your room at night, drug you with a heavy muscle paralytic, and pluck it out _hair_ by _hair_."

Chris' first instinct was to cradle the beard, but that would be wrong and weird. Instead, he decided not to respond and look down at the food on his plate. "It's just a beard." He admitted.

"Good boy." Jackson smiled nodding. "Eat your food, sweetie."

Each of the crew had contributed to the meal. Chris made the pasta; as he was of European heritage, he really knew how to make a killer penne. Jackson worked the salad, Hera was an absolute goddess at making sandwiches, the ones in question being a BLT of sorts, and Allen had put together a soup that his parents made him while he was on Sigma Octanus IV, a cream of potato mix with some spices added. He was upset because since this was a Mobian ship, he didn't have the spices that were native to his homeworld. He just had to work with what they had.

It had been five days in the slipstream, and they were running out of things to do other than bitch and argue at one another, so they decided to have poker games every night. The first night, Hera explained that she had never played a game of poker before and asked everyone to take it easy on her, and then they realized that Chris had folded a full house over Abigail's high card.

That was the last time they played poker.

On the second night, they decided that a workout session was in order, but Jackson accidently smashed a scale that told her, in these exact words, '_Your body-mass index leaves much to be desired. I have the number of a highly respected liposuctionist if you are interested_'. She later spent two hours in her room crying that she wasn't fat and that the machine was being mean to her.

The third day they had been monitoring the slipspace readings along with NICOLE, so no fun activities that night, and NICOLE had offered reprogram some of the holographic emitters for a VR movie, but the crew was too tired to accept. NICOLE then proceeded to watch a romance movie called '_AI: Artificial Lover_'. Apparently the movie didn't get very much money, but it achieved a huge cult following of multiple AIs and Tech School graduates.

The fourth day, Chris 'perfected' the beard.

And now the fifth day was dawning upon them. Their ship had broken through normalspace to a gas giant that had a dark blue color. This was Substance. It was slightly larger than Jupiter and orbited its small white star at a distance of fifty Astronomical Units. It was cold, dark, and a little bit bleak, but Substance had a very low radiation level, which would encourage the establishment of any orbital facilities and mining stations. Somewhere, hidden somewhere in the blue of Substance's clouds, there was a ringworld.

"Search for any electronic signals coming towards us." Chris ordered.

NICOLE nodded. "Scanning… hang on…" She closed her eyes for a second and said, "I found it! Adjust coordinates to zero-three-zero by three-five-five.

Their trajectory shifted and soon they were buzzing past a small moon, not more than a thousand kilometers in diameter. Hera pointed out that there were meteorites impacting on the surface, but Jackson was upset because her cast was not allowing her to move.

But then they saw it, gleaming in the sunlight, a massive ring, ten thousand kilometers in diameter spun in space. On the outer hull, metallic workings, but on the inside, multiple landforms were spread across the structure, and different biomes for each of them.

Installation 05. Delta Halo.

Thankfully, most of the population stuck together and decided not to strike it out in an alien wilderness such as a Halo. There were some towns, but they barely got larger than ten thousand people each, but they were prevalent throughout the ring's structure.

"It's beautiful!" Jackson said, totally at a loss for words.

"Yeah, isn't it? Hard to believe this thing was designed to kill us."

"_Kill you_?" Abigail said, shocked.

"Well, not just us." Allen quickly said. "Any complex lifeforms in the galaxy. The Halos were designed to destroy an alien life form of some sort."

"The Flood." Chris pointed out.

"Right, the Flood, but the kicker was we had to die for them to die."

NICOLE looked at the ring. "Well it obviously failed. You're here."

"I think it was activated a long time ago." Roan said, thinking hard.

"Then why are you still here?" Jackson asked.

Allen shook his head. "I don't know."

They decided to enter the ring's atmosphere. They picked an archipelago that seemed to have a volcanic-style landscape. There was a chain of Tropical Islands that wandered into the sea and a boreal forest nearby. It was a mish-mash of biomes, but the Forerunners were crazy that way.

The _Emerald Fox_ hammered the atmosphere. The freighter burned brightly as the air around them was on fire, but soon they were in the air, and able to fly around. Because she was a small ship, the _Fox_ probably wouldn't attract any attention from border patrols. The ship coasted through the clouds and buzzed by a floating factory.

"What was that?" Hera asked.

"Don't know. Looks like a factory or something like that." Chris said shrugging. "A bunch of machines are coming out. I think they're Sentinels."

Sentinels, the guardians of the rings. The Forerunners created these robots as a first line of defense if the Flood were ever to escape. Ever since their eradication hundreds of years ago though, they had nothing to do besides monitor the ring's repair process and assist in technical problems should they arise.

A couple of them tried to keep up with the ship. One of the robots glided near the cockpit and looked inside. For some reason, Hera found it within herself to _wave_ at it.

As expected, the Sentinel did not respond and broke off, returning to the swarm.

The _Emerald Fox _finally began to set down; the ground was rushing up to meet them. They found a spot near a large tower sending pulses into the sky and decided that it was safe to land there. The Captain had seen many Forerunner artefacts in his travels, and even something crafted by the Precursors, a civilization that predated the Forerunners by millions of years. Compared to them, the Halos were nothing more than glorified hula hoops that just _happened_ to have the capacity to exterminate all life within 25,000 light-years apiece.

"Five seconds to touchdown." Hera announced.

The pads absorbed the impact as their ship touched down on alien metal.

"Welcome to Halo." Chris said.

* * *

The air was warm despite the distance from Substance's primary. The ring must have had some sort of artificial environmental control to make sure the environment didn't kill the scientists or test subjects that were once here, and NICOLE even stated that the ring's rotation couldn't keep all the atmosphere in, suggesting a form of atmospheric generation.

The hatch descended and they walked onto the structure.

"Wow, what a view." Jackson said looking over a valley which stretched for dozens of miles in the distance. She had a crutch from the ship that helped her walk. "Can't believe this place was supposed to kill people."

"Can't believe they came to that decision." Chris said. "You know, for all they were said to stand for, the Forerunners had as much capacity to kill as they did to protect life. Their rings are testament to this." Chris followed the ring's curve until it went over his head. Substance stood proud in the background. "The Forerunners appointed Humanity to be the guardians of the galaxy. Something called 'The Mantle'."

"So, who runs this place?"

NICOLE's voice said, "_A monitor. This is a Forerunner AI that has complete control over an installation or facility. There is one for each Halo, and there are also multiple minor monitors in scattered Forerunner facilities. The current monitor of Installation 05 is 2401 Penitent Tangent_."

"He must have had his hands full when this place got glassed."

Chris nodded. "I agree. Looks like we fixed the place up alright though."

"So we need to find the monitor." Hera reasoned.

"Correct. Problem is finding him." Chris said. "He could be anywhere on the ring."

Jackson leaned on the ship. "But if he could be anywhere…?"

Roan and Vennettilli said it at the same time. "The Library."

"The 'Library'?" Jackson said, confused.

"_A structure where activation index for firing was stored. As of 2552, there was no reason to keep the Libraries active on the Halo rings, but 2401's always had a 'habit' or being slow to respond to orders_."

"Meaning?" Samantha asked.

"_Meaning, he's probably floating around, humming to himself acting as if nothing's changed_."

"Do you think that he's aware that the Flood's been eradicated?" Chris asked.

"_Possibly. I'll have to try and interface with him to see if I can communicate_."

"Well, only thing we need to determine is where the hell the Library is." Chris said, hands on his hips.

"_To do that, we'll need to find a Cartographer_."

"What's that?" Hera asked.

"_A Cartographer is an automated map room that should show us the major locations on the ring that I cannot pick up. It just so happens that there is a Cartographer located roughly fifty two miles up-spin from our current location. We can reach it in twenty minutes at cruising speed in the _Emerald Fox_._"

Vennettilli shrugged. "Sounds good. Let's go!"

The ship coasted over the land, running along a beach with beautiful white sand. NICOLE took the helm which allowed the others to look at the sights of the Halo. Beaches turned into grassland with antelope-like creatures hopping over the hills.

"Why put animals on the ring?" Jackson asked. "This is a weapon, not a game reserve."

Vennettilli said, "I guess the Forerunners had a thing for animals."

"Wonder if they'd have Mobians on the rings."

At that, Chris said, "Aren't there universes where Mobians evolved from dinosaurs?"

"Mobosaurs." Jackson corrected. "They did exist on our Mobius, but they died some time ago. Think of it like another ice age with mutated lizards."

"Fascinating." Roan said.

"There's more alternate universes than you can count, Captain." Hera said. "Remember the Stargate Project? ONI used it to investigate new universes. A couple of covert agents were sent on excursions in some universes. There are some where Robotnik died and was replaced by a robotic double, some where the Xorda came back to finish the job, some where the Forerunners succeeded twice and the galaxy was cleansed, there are some where Sonic the Hedgehog became king, the Dark Egg Legion destroyed the UNSC, and there are even some where Humans evolved side by side with Mobians."

"How do you know this?" Chris asked.

"I worked for the Royals. I had information that people would only dream of."

"So you were just sent to help me."

"Well I requested. I think that defending the man who led his team to victory in Robotropolis was a big deal. I mean, it's not easy to do what you did."

"Yeah. No kidding."

The Cartographer was a wedge shaped building that was nestled in a high mountain with a waterfall close-by. It was polished silver that retained its sheen well after 100,000 years of abandonment. The _Emerald Fox _circled around the building trying to scope out just how big the place was and just where they needed to go. They found a landing pad on the side of the cliff which was probably put there by the builders.

Allen exited the ship and looked over the edge. "You know, I would have thought the Forerunners would have some form of safety compliance."

Chris looked over the edge and recoiled. "Oof. What is that, a thousand foot drop?"

Roan shook his head. "Nah, two thousand at the least."

"We could toss a grenade over, count how many seconds it takes to explode." The Captain offered.

"Gentlemen!" Hera said. "I see you two are much immersed in your little sightseeing adventure, but a pair of Reclaimers needs to open the doors for us."

The boy wheeled around and saw Hera and Jackson waiting patiently. Samantha was tapping her hurt foot. "Don't keep me waiting here, Allen."

Chris and Allen walked along the side of the building looking for a door, but it appeared that the entire perimeter was uninterrupted.

"Looks like they didn't put in a door." Chris said.

"Awfully unlike the Forerunners. I think it would look great with one." Allen noted.

"But the Forerunners were artistic." Chris reasoned. "They liked to sheathe even their doorways with elegance, mystery, and above all, presentation."

Allen tapped his foot. "Yeah, but where do we get some presentation nearby…" Then, he snapped his fingers. "The waterfall."

"Brilliant deduction, Mister Roan. I was just about to suggest that!" the Captain smiled

They ran past their Mobians who were jabbering about running in circles. They didn't say anything and looked along the cliff for a walkway. To their great pleasure, there was. It was narrow though. One slip on the moist surface would send them two thousand feet to either a rocky or a watery impact. They honestly couldn't tell at this height.

"No safety compliances." Chris muttered.

"You think the Forerunners evolved with superior inner ear conditions?"

"They must've evolved without a fear of heights." Chris said a little shakily.

"Are you acrophobic?"

"No, I'm just a little bit uncomfortable on a slick surface over an abyss. Let me explain it a different way." He stopped and placed his hand against a rocky wall. "Imagine an ant, and he's walking along a wall, exploring if you will."

"OK, go on." Roan said, nodding.

"Then, all of a sudden, he comes to the edge of a well. Now, to you or me, the well doesn't seem very deep, but to the ant, it's infinite, and I guarantee he wouldn't want to get close to the precipice."

"So, you're the ant?"

"No, I just know how the ant feels now."

The waterfall roared as hundreds of gallons went over the cliff edge ever second. The walkway wrapped around the stream, allowing the water to go undisturbed on its earth-bound journey. It looked awfully inconspicuous enough to place an entrance.

"Now, where's the doorbell?" Roan asked. Then, "Hey, I found it."

A holographic display rose up to meet them. A bunch of alien symbols rolled all over it.

"NICOLE, can you translate?" Chris asked, holding the computer up to the console.

"_Give me a second. This device is unlike many I have encountered. I actually have never interfaced with a Forerunner computer before! This might take some time._"

She was silent for a second, but then she said, "I think I have it. Chris, tap the symbol that resembles a circle with three legs twice."

Chris did as he was told and suddenly, a cyan line formed in the center of the waterfall. It started to split apart and angle, forming a delta in the water. The stream was diverted by nothing more than light and an entrance behind the water was revealed. It was a tunnel, leading off into the distance. Finally, a light bridge linked their platform with the entrance to the tunnel.

Presentation.

"Brilliant!" Vennettilli said. "Thanks a lot, NICOLE."

"_I aim to please. Just get me into the Cartographer._"

* * *

They ran back up to tell Sam and Hera about the map room. Roan went to put her arm around Jackson, supporting her as they walked down the catwalk. Hera brought up the rear with her rifle out.

"Forerunners know how to make an entrance." She said, regarding the entrance to the Cartographer. She was hesitant to step on the light bridge, but did so when she came to the conclusion that there was no harm here. She was the last one to enter the tunnel when the bridge retracted, and the water resumed its falling undisturbed.

They followed this one tunnel, took a right, and found themselves in a very large subterranean chamber covered in alien technology. Holographic displays shot out, demanding attention, and a duo of sentinels flew through the air. But they were drawn towards a pedestal that seemed to beckon them forwards.

"That's the map?"

"_No. If I'm reading this correctly, that's just the security switch_."

Chris nodded. "What can you tell me about the security system?"

"_Hook me up and I'll be able to tell you more once we de-activate it_."

Chris took the Mobian AI and placed it on the pedestal and looked over the holographic display. "Hang on… I think I have this." He stretched his fingers and picked a symbol that looked like a cross-thatch. The display pulsed, and a model of the facility, waterfall included. It was clear that the building they were in extended far below them, nearly to the bottom of the cliff. There were levels of security, doors dozens of meters thick, and energy shields that zapped on contact. The Forerunners knew how to keep their secrets safe, but they knew the Reclaimers would be coming back one day.

"Security system disengaged. We have full access." Roan inspected. "We should look for a way into the lower superstructure."

They found a door that was previously locked. It brought them to a form of elevator, but used gravitational forces to shoot them either up or down. To the group, it looked like they were peering into an abyss.

"Does this thing really work?" Jackson asked.

"_Perfectly. In theory_."

"In theory?" Hera asked.

"_Well, I'm not quite sure whether we have to speak a command or make a gesture, or something like that…_"

Chris peered into the shaft. "That is a long way down." He looked to his friends and said, "Next car going down! Ground floor: Fishing Supplies, Sporting Goods, Access to Alien Map Rooms."

He stepped into the shaft and immediately felt his weight supported. He was floating in mid-air. He laughed in excitement.

"Look at this! This is awesome!"

"It's scaring me, really." Abigail said. "Can you activate it?"

Chris shrugged. "Um… activate? Fly? Up-up-and-away? Nicole, what's the Forerunner symbol for activation?"

"_Here it is. It's the symbol that looks like a downward pointing arrow_."

"Handy!" He tapped the arrow and he was gone in a second, dropped down the hole to the bottom floor.

"Captain!" The major said.

"_I'm OK. I've reached the bottom. I see a bunch of hallways. Better get down here, guys_."

They were a little apprehensive, but then Allen said, "I'm going down. See you girls at the bottom. He jumped into the beam and shot to the bottom. Hera shoved Jackson into the shaft where she floated for a second, shouting insults and curses before she disappeared. Finally, Hera jumped into the beam, pressed the button and was shot down the elevator shaft.

She felt the familiar feeling of her stomach shooting up her throat, Lights flew past her, and soon, she felt as if a giant hand gently lowered her to the ground. She was shaky for a moment, but she found her feet.

"Wow. What a ride!" She said.

Their guns were up, in case some sort of resistance came up, but it was clear that there was nothing to be afraid of. Even Jackson, with her foot in a cast-boot was on her toes with a gun in her hand.

"We're clear." The Captain said. "Let's take a look around."

The area was deserted, as it had been for hundreds of years since the Covenant last landed on the ring in 2552 and located the control room. However, that was not their goal. NICOLE directed them down the correct passage of corridors. Several times they were led near sheer drops into tall shafts, but eventually, they made it to an open room that had a model of the ring floating and rotating with Substance holding position in the background.

"Is… this it?"

"_This is it. Welcome to the Map Room_."

The ring twirled, signalling it was ready to use. "Roan, you can turn it on if you want."

The human nodded and pressed his palm on the holo-panel, not quite expecting what would happen. The ring started to expand, signalling their position.

"_Activate my holographic form, Captain_." NICOLE requested.

Chris tapped a few buttons on the computer and clipped it on his belt.

NICOLE materialized; looking refreshed to walk on alien metal, even though she was as incoherent here as anywhere.

"Look at this…" She said. "The ring's systems have correctly located us. We are on this plateau… here." She said pointing to a patch of land.

"Can we find any structure on the ring?" Vennettilli asked.

"That's what I'm gathering, Captain." NICOLE said. "The Forerunners once used this place as a directory. Odd how this is the only one in the entire installation. People would have to come to this specific spot to gain knowledge of the Installation."

"That, or if they happened to find the monitor." Hera said.

"NICOLE, can you interface?"

She nodded. "I'm in… I…" She froze, her eyes went wide, and then a huge smile spread across her face.

"What's wrong?" Jackson asked.

"Nothing's wrong. I… the _knowledge_! The pure _knowledge_ within this! It's marvellous! Locations, technology, information! It's more than anything I could have ever imagined!" She paced around the Cartographer. "This is a goldmine of information! There's secrets buried within these rings that we have yet to know about the Forerunner! If I were a lesser AI, I wouldn't be able to take it all in! But… My Goodness! I think I'm getting a headache!"

An AI with a headache. Wow, that Forerunner stuff sounded pretty potent.

"Are you still able to function?" Vennettilli asked.

She cleared her throat, but her eyes still sparkled as she took in the information. "Yes. I can find the Library for us." She manipulated the search parameters into the Cartographer. The ring rotated, and then a single point was highlighted. "Zoom in." she commanded. The ring's picture zoomed in on a snowy area where the Library was shown; a structure with a beam of light shooting into the sky.

"There it is; the Installation's Library." The Captain said. "That's where we need to go."

"What about the monitor?" Roan asked.

"I have a funny feeling he'll be there. 700 years after getting his hopes up, he'll be trying to drown his sorrows in data."


	15. Chapter 15: The Library

Chapter 15: The Library  
May 19th, 3239, 1040 hours  
Delta Halo (Installation 05)  
En route to the Library

They had taken a day to get their bearings. With the location of the Library safely tucked away in NICOLE's databank, they could prepare for entering the facility. The Flood was no longer a problem for the galaxy, but there were a few people that could prove… inconvenient if they were to get in the group's way.

Bandits and lowlifes stalked some of Installation 05's less habitable places. Criminals who were exiled from their respective towns frequently found themselves in extreme places like this, finding weapons, shooting down sentinels, and eventually attacking anyone organic who came by, driven insane by the loneliness and utter alien landscape.

The area where the Library was located turned out to be a frozen valley with snow falling at just enough to be considered almost peaceful, but it was clear that this area was beyond peaceful.

There had been a battle here of some sort. Long ago, long covered up by the snow and the ice and the long arm of time, but there were reminders that were visible if one were to look carefully: There were holes in the Forerunner walls and skeletons of vehicles that survived the glassing and eventual terraformation. What had happened here was not mentioned in any of the history books.

The _Emerald Fox_ swooped over a low ridge with its search light scanning the region. Aside from a few Sentinels and their smaller Constructor cousins, the area was dead.

"Hmm, looks like there's nothing here." Hera confirmed.

"In that case, take us into the Library." Chris ordered.

"_Roger that. Hang onto your hats, people_." NICOLE answered. The freighter swooped upwards and made its way towards a building shaped like a sloping pyramid. It blasted a gigantic light into the heavens, ushering them in, before a warning blared on the instrument panel. Their speed dropped to zero in seconds.

"What's happening?" the Captain asked.

"_Wait one… hmm, looks like it's some sort of force-field. It's blocking us from entering. I'd go over it, but it starts to slope about a kilometer above our position. Ingenious._"

They were all impressed by the elaborate security system, but their awe was not bringing this thing down. Jackson spoke up, "Is there another way inside?"

"_Hang on._" NICOLE said. "_Hmm, that's strange. I'm reading the resonance frequencies on this force field, and if I'm right on the numbers, based on the amount of pulses that have been made, I can determine the time of activation of the field._"

"Why is that odd?" Vennettilli asked.

"_This field if only seventy one years old_."

"Was it active any time before that?"

"_I have no reason to believe that it was. I've been running through the systems, and it looks like the Forerunner systems are throwing up all kinds of warnings and alerts. Guys, I think this shield might have been jury-rigged!_"

Well that was a real development in this issue. Someone had built this shield recently, if one could call within the last 100 years 'recent'.

"There's got to be some way to get past this. Put us down, Hera." Chris said. Abigail nodded and carefully made sure the _Emerald Fox _set down on solid ground.

"The Captain has turned off the seat-belt light…" Hera began as everyone unclipped themselves.

"Do we have any coats?" Allen asked. "It looks pretty cold out there."

Chris scowled. As far as he knew, there were no coats on-board. They had never expected landing on a frigid plateau on some ring world. Looks like it was time to 'grin and bear it'.

With NICOLE safe on his belt, the Marine keyed in the door sequence. The hatch dropped down, and a gust of cold air blasted into the ship. Everyone shuddered as the first wave of cold battered them.

"Alright, let's move out, guys!" Chris said, rifle in hand.

Abigail had argued against using guns on this one, but Chris thought it would be prudent that if whoever constructed the shield was still inside; or if their descendants were, they probably wouldn't be too willing to talk to strangers.

They jogged across the snow. Their boots made crunching noises as they pounded the powder beneath them. Chris felt the worst of it as he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and the only fur he had was the one on his head, face and arms. The Mobians were quiet. If they were cold, they kept it to themselves, but it was clear that Allen too was feeling some sort of resentfulness to this weather.

Allen's home, Sigma Octanus IV was a planet orbiting the twin stars of the system. The weather was always warm on his planet, and he had barely ever experienced frost, meaning that his family's crops were always great to eat and that they made a fair profit whenever they needed to sell.

But this was cold. He hadn't felt this cold in a whole year on another planet, where the winters were frigid to the point where it was stupid, but it was clear that the Forerunners simply wanted some sort of climate diversity. Shame that the 'diverse' bit went on both sides of the spectrum.

"Hey, I think I see a gap in the shield." Allen pointed out. He was right. It appeared that they were outside some sort of Forerunner monitoring station near the Library, an alien guardhouse. This seemed to be the 'admitting point' to the Library. This was where another battle took place. The Covenant glassing never seemed to touch this area very much. The original snow was here, somehow a different texture. 700 years wouldn't make much of a difference, one would think.

The doorway was the old entrance to the guardhouse. They cautiously stepped inside, guns raised. They met no resistance as they walked down the hall, two of them covering the area ahead, and two of them watching their six.

The area on the other side was inside of the shield. They were over a gigantic valley. A glacier was tucked into a corner with icy water streaming from the runoffs. They seemed to be near one of the glacier's moraines. Incredible.

"I still can't believe someone _built _this!" Abigail said.

"_Believe it. Just remember: whatever you see here is a façade to what's underneath._"

Allen said, "There's the Library straight ahead!" He pointed to the structure. It seemed so close, but they had to remember that this structure was gigantic beyond anything on Earth. "but how do we get there?"

Chris ran up a ramp and surveyed what was in front of him. "Hey, look at this, guys!"

He was standing in front of what he assumed was a form of transportation. A barge or a gondola or something like that. Chris took a few steps onto the Forerunner transport. He checked corners to make sure that they weren't sharing this ride, and then called the others on.

"This thing could take us all the way there." He said.

"How do we turn it on?" Hera asked.

"_Bring me to the front. I'm getting a reading of an energy panel or a holoprojector. It could be an activation area_." NICOLE advised.

At the front of the gondola, there was only a single console that was extending from the wall looking over the valley. A ghostly imprint of a hand beckoned forward, demanding input. Chris passed his gun over to his left hand and held out his right.

"Should you be touching that thing?" Roan asked. "It could just tilt and dump us into the valley."

"What harm could it do?" the Captain asked.

They thought for a second. "OK, go to it!" Allen nodded.

Vennettilli planted his palm against the holo-panel and felt resistance. The barge shuddered for a second and then floated forwards. They began their slow journey to the Library.

The journey was longer than they thought it would be. They seriously underestimated the disnce from the gondola port to the actual Library. The structure was massive, and the entrance itself was a staggering two hundred feet wide. As soon as the barge got close, the entrance spun apart, revealing the inner structure of the Library.

It was magnificent! Metal pillars millennia old stretched far above and below their position; an alien sense of architecture that couldn't really be explored by Human knowledge. Chris had seen it before during his separation on the UNSC _Phoenix_ more than a year ago in an alternate universe, but that world had been built by something much _older_ than the Forerunners.

Their gondola suddenly stopped after another seven minutes of driving forward. They rushed to the front of the gondola, wondering what had happened. Upon inspection, they had noticed that the only thing in front of them was a solid steel wall.

* * *

"Well, that was kind of anticlimactic." Jackson said.

"You think that we were supposed to steer this thing?" Roan asked. "I thought there would be a wheel somewhere."

Before anybody else could say anything, the gondola's arms tilted ninety degrees to which point they locked. The gondola was silent again.

"Are we supposed to press something or what-?"

The gondola started to rise at a rapid rate. It appeared that the Library was not only large, but higher up.

Jackson leaned on a railing and let one of her hands dangle. "You know, physics says that the shortest point between two points is a straight line. So…" She rolled her eyes.

Chris nodded. This was boring. There was nothing to shoot, nothing to do, just stand on a gondola on a half hour ride. There was NOTHING to see!

Their momentum slowed and soon they returned to lateral motion. This time, once they made it past the second door, they reached a wide-open are that seemed to be within the bowels of the Library. Everything was swallowed up by darkness except for a structure standing out in the space. This had to be the entrance that they were after.

"That's the front door?" Hera asked, weapons ready.

"Looks like it. Lock and load, guys."

They inserted magazines into their weapons. Whoever set up this barrier was probably still in here – or their descendants were maybe. Regardless, their goal was so close and nothing should stand in the way.

The gondola slowed to a near-halt and reached its destination. It ground to a stand-still. They had finally reached the Library.

Chris was in command once more. Now they had to function as a military unit to move effectively. Vennettilli had the experience, so it only made sense that he be the leader. Hera took point and the mercenaries flanked her.

"Move up, check your corners, guys." Chris said.

Abigail ran up to the first portal and looked through. It was empty, ghostly silent. The only thing they heard was the humming of distant computers, somewhere in the depths of this facility.

"NICOLE, can you give us a map of the area?"

"_Negative, sir. I'm unable to access the schematics of this facility. I think I may have been locked out_."

"Not surprising. NICOLE's a foreign program." Samantha reasoned.

The Captain frowned. It was a setback, but they would be able to recover from it. Enough wandering around would allow them to map out the area. The only problem was that they could also go into places where they were not strictly allowed to be in. The Forerunner always had a thing for personal security. Vennettilli had heard about fields of energy that would kill living beings upon proximity, and that people sacrificed themselves to map out where these fields were; how surprisingly barbaric.

The Library seemed to function on a maze-like structure. It was clearly beyond any human reasoning, but to the Forerunners, the layout of such a structure must have been plain as day. Alien were weird.

They trudged through, completely lost for approximately ten minutes.

"Does anybody have a clue about where we are going?" Hera asked.

"Not a clue." Chris admitted.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance!"

* * *

They jumped and whirled around. A floating red ball had come up to them silently.

"Greetings! I am 2401 Penitent Tangent! I am the Monitor of Installation 05! How may I be of assistance to you, Reclaimers?"

Everyone except Chris was shocked by the appearance of the Monitor. Chris had seen a peaceful Precursor AI back when he and some of the Freedom Fighters were lost on the _Phoenix_. Its name was Benevolent Algorithm, and as far as Vennettilli knew, it was dead.

"2401, I have a question to ask."

"State your inquiry, Reclaimer! I would be happy to assist!"

"Can you tell me who constructed the barrier outside of the Library?"

"Accessing: Barrier (redirecting); shield. Error: I cannot locate a directory within my system of a 'barrier'."

"Well, have you seen it?"

"I have indeed! That particular obstacle was constructed 621,960 hours prior to our meeting."

"_Seventy-one years, guys._" NICOLE translated.

"However, I do not have a record on-file of who built it. Conjecture: I believe that it was forcibly placed there by a visitor of sorts. It is not within protocol, but does not interfere with my duties. Ergo, I see no logic to remove it."

"But who _built _it?" Jackson asked.

"I have insufficient data to deliver a suitable response, Reclaimer. If you would like to…"

Samantha said, "Back up."

The AI reversed a meter.

"No; I mean, did you refer to me as a 'Reclaimer'?"

2401 looked genuinely puzzled. "Indeed. Was I incorrect with my assumption?"

"Explain to me your reasoning."

"Assuming my sensors are not damaged, I can scan your biological makeup to discover your DNA falls in line with my preprogramed acceptances! You are a Reclaimer! Would you like to see the comprehensive data?"

Samantha shook her head. "No, that'll be fine."

"Getting back on track." Chris said, ending the interesting small-talk, "I have information locked within my head. Do you know how to retrieve it?"

"Odd. Can you repeat that phrase?"

"I was implanted with information within my brain that I cannot access. It's there but I cannot remember it. Is there a device that can extract a memory?"

"I am happy to announce that such a device does exist, and is within the Library! We can journey to it, but I would like to run simulations on firing solutions."

"Why?" Chris said, excited that he would finally get to the bottom of this. "Why are you running simulations?"

"I am preparing to activate the Installation and end the Flood infestation."

It was clear that 2401 had some screws loose. He was unaware of what was going on.

"Monitor," Allen announced. "The Array is inactive. It has been inactive for over 700 years."

The Monitor seemed cheery. "That is impossible. I have been running billions of simulations since the last Reclaimer arrived. I have been waiting to be presented with the activation Index.

"It's not coming." Chris said. "If you check your systems, you'll discover that this Installation, as well as the others, has been deactivated from the Ark."

The Monitor looked at the others, and then said, "But, this is incredulous. I don't have access to view those types of…"

"_2401, run a self-diagnostic_." NICOLE ordered.

"This construct has no business stating demands!" The Monitor said, enraged.

"Do it, AI!" the Captain ordered.

The Forerunner machine calmed down, and its light flickered. "Yes, Recliamer; running diagnostic. Time since last diagnostic: 882,018,120 hours prior, negating subsequent minutes and seconds. Processing… Oh dear… Have I missed that much?"

"_Just what I thought: someone needed to push the 'reset' button_."

"So much has happened." The AI said. "I remember. The Reclaimer that came before you. Oh, it was such a long time ago, when the Meddlers came to this Installation and attempted to intercept it."

"He probably means the Covenant." Chris realized. "2401. We need to find this device. Can you take us to it?"

"I can do that. Please follow me. What of the Subjects of this Installation?"

"The Flood? Gone."

"That is good. The outbreak was beyond our control. Protocol dictated our response to the threat, and that was not enough. Come, this way."

They began to walk down one of the corridors.

"2401, who built this barrier? Can you tell us now?"

Now with his head cleared, Penitent Tangent said, "It is not of my creators. It is possible that the Reclaimers might have-"

A bullet ricocheted off 2401's casing. An energy shield flared and the round was deflected away.

"What defiance!" the AI said. "Rampant Reclaimers!"

They whirled around to see what was chasing them. They couldn't be mistaken. The armor, the speed, the visors, and the machine-like coordination: ONI had finally brought the Spartans down on them.

* * *

"Oh _shit_." Chris said. "Run!"

They bolted. "You know we can't outrun them!" Hera said. "They'll catch us!"

"2401! Do something!"

An energy shield popped up between them. It went all the way to the Library's ceiling. The Spartans stopped dead in their tracks.

Chris turned to look at them. "Stand down, Spartans!" He commanded.

They stood silent. One of them with the markings of a Lieutenant Junior Grade came forward. "I didn't want to believe it when they sent me."

Chris looked a little closer. He recognized the voice. "Chief?"

The Spartan removed his helmet. It was indeed the former Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. "Captain Vennettilli."

"You know this guy?" Roan asked.

"_We're acquainted; long story._" NICOLE said. "_Chief: Listen, we know you're here for a reason._"

"Yes, you've been targeted. You are to turn yourselves in immediately and await transport back to Earth for trial."

Chris laughed. "Listen, 'Lieutenant'. I think you and I b oth know that there's no trail for me back on Earth."

"Sir, regardless of what happens away from here, you will need to come with us."

"Not going to happen, Spartan."

"Vennettilli!"

"Catch me if you can, Spartan. 2401, make sure that no energy shields drop except on my order!"

"Command accepted! Shields will be at your command, Reclaimer! Would you like me to display the relevant shield hard-points on our way to the extraction facility?"

"Please."

The group turned and walked into the facility.

"_CAPTAIN!_" The Spartan roared. Chris halted for just a second and continued his walk, his friends at his side.

The other Spartans looked at John. "Lieutenant! Is there any way around these shields?"

"No. Not this way. We need to take the long way around now! Come on! We can still head them off before they get to the top of the facility! Let's move, Spartans! Double time! Kim, get ready to engage with magnetic grapples. Alphonse, make sure we load stun rounds. There's no need to kill on this one."


	16. Chapter 16: The Village

Chapter 16: The Village  
May 19th, 3239, 1100 hours  
Installation 05, Substance System  
The Library

"Oh man, you just pissed those guys off." Jackson said with a bit of a laugh as they ran down the corridor.

Chris was a bit frightened that he did just that. He was so close; so close to figuring out what was in his head exactly. He had to take any avenue to his objective. His military mind was now processing what he needed to do. He was operating on instinct now. When a runner sees that he or she is in close proximity to the finish line, they draw on reserve strength to get their bodies moving a slight percentage faster than they are physically capable to. It was kind of similar in this position: the end was in sight. He just needed a bit more time to get to where he needed to go.

2401 Penitent Tangent was hovering alongside them, humming to himself. The monitor twirled 180 degrees for a second and said, "Reclaimer, do you believe that it was the correct course of action to leave that fellow Reclaimer standing behind one of my energy shields?"

"I think I did what I needed to do." The Captain simply said.

"You don't know how many kinds of hell we went through over the past couple months, buddy." Roan said with a chuckle. "I think locking the Spartan out was small-time compared to stuff these two have been doing!"

"Interpreting. Does this suggest a sexual relationship?"

Hera said in a loud voice, "_NO!_ Why would you even suggest such a thing?"

"Alright, calm down Major." Vennettilli said, a little shaky from her outburst.

"I apologise." The AI said. "I did not intend to offend."

Abigail nodded. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just a little shaky over everything that's happened lately."

They were silent as they slowed to a walk. This place was amazing. It was huge, easily one of the largest Forerunner buildings they had ever walked in to. Jackson and Hera were especially impressed because such ruins did not exist on Mobius or anywhere in the solar system.

"How long do you think it took them to make all this?" Samantha asked. "Certainly a couple hundred years maybe?"

"Maybe thousands." Chris offered. "Forerunners had extremely long lifespans, measuring in the tens of thousands. They were also amazingly advanced. Although a couple thousand years to one of these aliens must have been nothing. Odd because we never really discovered what they looked like at all."

"Never? Even after 700 years?" Abigail asked.

2401 chimed. "My creators' absence of physical representation is perplexing actually. It has been looping in my matrix for many cycles now. I too am curious as to why my makers decided to shield their appearances. Was it intentional, or were they removed?"

"So, no Forerunner ever returned following the Standby order?" Chris asked.

"No." The AI responded.

NICOLE offered her opinion, "_Well, some scientists speculate that the Forerunners may have left the galaxy to go seek out a new home. All things considered, things were going to hell here. It might not have been a bad thing to just start all over_."

"A sound hypothesis, lesser AI." 2401 said. "However, my knowledge is limited to the confinement of this Installation. Compartmentalization, I'm sure you understand."

"I get it." Jackson joked. "'Need to Know' basis."

* * *

John-117 was a man back from the dead. The man who used to be the Master Chief had been whisked into a new era though the use of Forerunner quantum trickery. He was found drifting in space, rescued by a group of Humans and furries claiming to be from Human space.

John had missed a lot in his sleep. Upon arriving back in Human space, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and set out training new Spartans. It made him proud to know that the work of Doctor Halsey was still running strong. Spartans were less of a military myth and now more of a Special Forces branch that one needed to commit to. John didn't care that the men and women he was training weren't stolen from his parents as he was. Soldiers were soldiers. That was all he cared about at the end of the day.

ONI had been up in arms about his target, Captain Christopher Vennettilli. He had to admit to himself that the assignment didn't give him good feelings at first. He had known the young man for a month or so before returning to duty. The man, Tudyk, called John into his office days prior.

"_We are under the gun, Liutenant. This man is a mass murderer! He slaughtered an entire ship full of UNSC personnel to cover his escape, and he's a traitor! We need the SPARTANs to take him down!_"

"_Sir, with respect, shouldn't my orders be coming from the military administration of ONI, and not the civilian board_?"

"_This is different, John. President Marshall signed my request to put you on the case, and your commanding officer, Admiral Neilsen also approved. You're under my jurisdiction now_."

"_Yes sir. What are the mission parameters_?"

"_We caught whiff of a signal transmission penetrating the Warpgate communication antennae. From the looks of it, the Captain was sending a love letter to his fiancée._"

"_Are your orders to take care of said partner_?"

"_You do know who I'm talking about, right_?_" _

"_Yes, the princess. Sally Alicia Acorn. Are your orders to neutralize her? That would be political assassination!_"

"_Calm yourself, John! We don't want to involve the princess in any way with our investigation. He was a UNSC Marine. He is our property to do with as we please._"

Was? Once a Marine, always a Marine. Nobody ever referred to anyone as a former Marine without good reason.

"_Sir? Was?_"

"_The _Elijah Jones_ was the last straw. I would have been willing to forgive up to that point, but it's clear that Vennettilli's gone over the deep end. He's lucky we didn't catch him. A dishonourable discharge was the least of his worries! He was lucky he wasn't thrown out an airlock!_"

"_He was an honourable serviceman._"

"_Well he's also a mass murderer and we have witness testimony to prove it. Are you going to argue with me about this, John_?"

"_No sir. What are the specifics_?"

"_The ship that he stole, the _Emerald Fox_ jumped somewhere into the vicinity of the Eta Cassiopeia system, staying for a few days before heaving outward. The Hunter Killer teams we sent to intercept him were destroyed._"

"_One man did this?_"

"_Crafty son of a bitch, isn't he now? We know that conventional tactics may not work. We don't want to send a large ship after him because that would be a waste of resources. We need to send you in quick and quiet._"

"_Will I have backup_?"

"_You will. Two Spartan OCs, Petty Officers Kim-M223, and Amir-0342._"

"_M-class Spartans; you're sending the Furries in with me._"

"_Don't doubt them, Chief. They're soldiers now, just like you. You can respect that, can't you_?"

He could. They were soldiers. It didn't matter who they were, what planet they were from, or if their bodies were covered with fur, scales or skin.

"_Yes sir. I can_."

"_Excellent. You'll have advanced briefing forwarded to you at 1300 hours tomorrow. Get some sleep. You Spartans have a long flight ahead of you_.

Here he was now, on the ring world he once fought. 700 years ago. It felt like yesterday for him. Being in that cryo chamber removed him from the events of the world around him. He felt out of place, anachronistic, old. He could barely accept the fact that old races of the Covenant were allied with Humanity now. He had to urge himself not to kick an Unggoy into low orbit at his military base when it was only asking if he needed some armor polished. Poor guy had to be sent to the clinic for shock treatment.

The energy field in front of him was impenetrable, even with his new armor. He scanned it, but his efforts were in vain. "Spartans, assessment of situation!" He ordered.

Kim, the Mobian – a border Collie actually, put her hands on her hips and tilted her helmet upwards, regarding the barrier. "Lieutenant, this is a pretty sturdy Forerunner shield. I don't think that there's any way around it. My assessment is that we simply find another way in."

John nodded. "Amir, your thoughts?"

"I agree with Kim. This door is a dead end. I'm sure there might be a service door, or a vent or something."

"I find the former likely." John said. He activated his COM. "Vulture, this is Scorpion. You have eyes on an alternate entrance into the facility?"

The Hunter Killer ship that brought them here, code-named Vulture responded. "_Affirmative. Secondary access route located roughly three hundred meters above your position and fifteen meters to the left. Accessing scaffold present. I will move in_."

"That's a negative, Vulture! _We_ were ordered to go in there and retrieve the traitor! Your prerogative is to hang back in case we are not able to retrieve him."

"_This is not agreeable_."

"Well that's not my call. Scorpion out." He turned to his team-mates. "Kim, Amir, secure your Rope Darts. We need to get up there as soon as possible."

Amir looked over his shoulder. "I don't like those guys. They give me the creeps."

Kim said, "You know, I heard that they might replace us. What do you think, Lieutenant?"

"Stow it, Spartans." John simply said. He shared their fears though. He too heard the rumors flying around space that the Hunter Killer teams were getting the jobs done in the year they've been around. It was sickening. They were not soldiers! They were barbarians! The Hunters were ex-cons that had been injected with so many chemicals they didn't even appear to be Human! The Stalkers were the worst though. Altered mental patients that had parts of their body replaced by mechanical prosthetics, and their minds were perverted so that they existed in a constant state between reality and delusion.

The Spartans readied their darts. Their target was the scaffolding. John's armor computer analyzed the shot and predicted the best trajectory. The Lieutenant decided to trust the suit and fired. His launcher shot the darts into the air and after five seconds of flight caught on to the alien metal. They tested their ropes to see if they were tight and began their climb.

300 meters was no joke, and lifting half a ton of armor was not an easy job. Good thing the MJOLNIR armor they were sporting had enhancing effects. Come to think of it, it amazed him how these new generation Spartans reacted under pressure. It was commendable. He also had the opportunity to see Kim with her armor off. He may not be welcome of the anthros, but he liked his help. Her seemingly thin arms were bristling with muscles that helped her move fast. Her biceps were nearly the size of his, and she was only 27! Amir had tanned skin, courtesy of his Indian heritage, but he was starting to get the bleached effect of being in the suit.

Their climb was boring. Amir decided to break the silence. On private COMS. "Hey Kim, I have to ask, where does your tail go?"

"Climbing up the side of a building, and you're asking questions relating to my ass?"

"Not your ass, just what's connected to your ass. I know you have a tail, you're a Collie. Where do you put it so you don't trip over it?"

"You see what looks like a large ammo container just below my fusion pack?"

"Yeah."

"Well there's your answer. Whenever I go into combat, I just stuff my tail in there. Mind you it does get a bit itchy from time to time."

"You look awfully Human that way."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"No, I just mean that it's tough to tell you're a Mobian."

"I thought that was the point with this armor."

_Unbelievable_. John thought. _The new generation's full of chatternouths_.

"Can we quiet it down, people?"

"Sorry sir." Amir and Kim said. Suddenly Kim asked, "Hey sir, you ever been to Mobius?"

John sighed. They did still have ways to go. He supposed that he could burn some time. "No. I've never been to Mobius. That's your homeworld, right?"

"You got it! Think of it as Earth except with less buildings and cleaner atmosphere. That's your home-planet, right?"

"No, it wasn't. I don't like talking about it."

"Aw, why not?" Kim asked.

"I don't like talking about it." The Spartan repeated flatly, actually looking at Kim with his reflective visor.

"Okay, sorry." Kim apologised.

John took a deep breath. "So, Mobius. It's green, right?"

"Yeah, beautiful!" she said brightly. "I mean, I've seen Earth. It's nice and all, but you know, you need some fresh air too!"

"What's the military compliment?"

"Compared to you Humans? Piss poor. A few ships, including the handful the UEG gave us. We have people to fly them, but that's about it. Remember, it's because we didn't have very many enemies besides Robotnik in the first place."

"Right, Robotnik." John said. He couldn't really take this guy seriously because he just looked so hilarious. However, since he was in a triple max penitentiary 10,000 lightyears away, it was clear the UNSC wasn't taking any chances with him either. John cleared his mind. The only thing he needed to worry about was how much closer he was to his destination.

* * *

"Pen, slow it down. You're getting ahead of us." Abigail said. "Us mere mortals can only run so far."

"Try going on a jog with Sonic some time." Vennettilli breathed. "It's not pretty."

"That's right, you know him! The Hero of Mobius! What's he like?"

"Recently? Not so cocky. I think Sonic's realized that some things are bigger than him, like the Covenant, the Shi'Kri'Lash, the Xorda, and the Galaxy Bomb. Robotnik's locked away, so his main source of competition was taken away by our hand.

"I think you may have disturbed the natural order of things, Human."

They turned right and found themselves on a transparent floor.

"Nice drop." Allen said. What's down there?"

"Mainly specimen holding cells, but as of late, systems report that there are no longer any living specimens within the Installation. How disappointing."

"I can give you a hug if it makes you feel better." Allen suggested.

2401 made no comment and continued floating. "Oh! I apologise, Plasma conduit 6-Delta has ruptured! Subsystems are down! I must go to administer the problem. I will return shortly. Please continue down this route until you reach the large portal." At that, he flew off.

"Did... did that little bastard just leave us to fend for ourselves?" Samantha asked in outrage.

"I wouldn't call it that." Vennettilli quipped. Suddenly he heard something. "Get military, guys. I hear something."

Guns came up. Samantha hobbled into position.

"Jackson, I want you near the back. Your broken foot makes you a target."

"Yeah, about that, maybe I should have stayed on the ship instead of TORTURING me with WALKING?"

"The Spartans may have found you." Abigail said. "Then again, how do we know that the Spartans aren't in here right now? Just... watching us."

A shiver ran through everyone's bodies. "Please don't say that." Allen said.

"Put your hands up!" A voice in the distance said. It sounded Human, but the profile didn't match a Spartan.

"Put yours up! We're military!"

"Military huh? What military sends four people into a deserted alien artifact? Where are your guns?"

"We got 'em!" Samantha yelled. "You want to see them up close or at a distance of a hundred yards?"

There was silence, and then they slowly moved towards the group.

"Come on." Chris said. His group moved forward too. The gap closed between them and their features became visible. Only two of the strange people were Human. One was Gallvente and the other was Sangheili.

"Now, can you tell us who you are?" Chris asked, beating them to the punch.

"We are the simple inhabitants of the Library." One of the Humans said. "We've been living in here for the past hundred years in a community."

"A hundred years? In this place? Samantha asked, a bit uncertain, but then the wheels turned in her head. "You put the barrier in place."

"Well, not us." The other Human said. "Our grandfathers did when they hid here."

"Hid? Were they criminals?"

The Gallvente spoke now. "Some of us were. My grandfather was a wealthy man who wanted to get away from it all. He sought refuge on this ring and lived here his whole life, as my father did, and as I will. We are brothers on this ring."

"Funny. You guys don't look like you're related." Allen noted.

"We are not brothers in blood." The Sangheili muttered, "We are brothers in mind and spirit. We live to see the next day, and continue to serve our gods. I arrived to pray in this holy place. The gods hear my call." He looked into space, probably saying a silent prayer.

"Who are these aliens?" The Gallvente asked. "What are they?"

"We are Mobians." Abigail said. "We come in peace. We were found five years ago. You never leave this place?"

The taller Human shook his head. "We never have, and probably never will. You're the first people to arrive in... a very long time."

"Your skin is pale." Abigail noted. "You haven't been getting any sun."

"There are places where we can get sun, but they are far away from here. It would take a full day's journey to bring us there. Why bother?"

"Health, for one?" Chris reasoned. "If you don't have your health, you have nothing."

"Wise words, maybe, but you'll grow to like it here. Our grandfathers were thoughtful enough to provide us with aeroponics equipment and water generation equipment. We live here peacefully. What is your purpose in the Library?"

"Honestly, I would love to chat, but we have to get going. We have Spartans right behind us and they're chasing me."

"Spartans?" The shorter Human asked. "So you _are_ criminals. If they're sending the armoured soldiers after you, I think you're more trouble than you seem."

Chris gripped Rouge's pistol in his holster.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

The Sangheili cocked his head. "The Monitor returns!"

Ruby beams of light shot out of the darkness, cutting into the ancient metal floor. The unlikely residents ran for it, firing their weapons over their shoulders.

"_Unacceptable! Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!_" 2401 Penitent Tangent cried out. "_Defiler! Meddler! You have unauthorized access of this facility! Protocol dictates immediate termination!_"

2401 was flanked by a dozen Sentinels firing their beams.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked, absolutely horrified.

"These indignations have no access rights to this Installation! My recent diagnostic has made me aware of them! The Sentinels must do their part to eliminate all that stand in the way of contaminating this facility!"

"You're going to kill them all?" Allen said.

"Protocol dictates that as the correct source of action, Reclaimer. There is an infestation in this facility and I must purge them! "

"We have to stop them!" Abigail said. "We can't let those people die!"

Allen offered an alternative, "Yeah, well we don't want to be caught by those Spartans either!"

Tracers began to fly towards the ceiling of the Library. The residents had begun to fight back. The staccato crackle of weapons fire made its way across the metal landscape.

He was the team leader. Chris needed to make a choice. What would happen to these people? He glances over his shoulder though. It was possible the Spartans were right behind him. He needed to act.

He took a deep breath. "Move it out, people. That's an order."

"What?" Abigail asked, incredulous.

"You heard me, Major. We need to get to that extraction chamber."

"Are you kidding? There's people back there that need our help! They've never faced Sentinels like this now that 2401's come to his senses!"

"_Major Hera is correct. It's the right thing to do._" NICOLE said with a chiding tone. "_The Freedom Fighters would have assisted as soon as they could_."

"I am NOT a Freedom Fighter, NICOLE." Chris growled. "I'm a Marine. I ascertain a situation and judge based on the level of risk."

"_You really have changed, Chris_." NICOLE said sadly. "_What happened to your innocence? What happened to your judgement? Everything's been replaced by 'procedure, protocol, what-have-you'. I'm worried about you_."

"You're worried about me? We are THIS close to finding out what's in my head! THIS CLOSE!"

"_I don't care if we were an inch to ending this entire thing. We need to protect those people!_"

"NICOLE. We can't-"

"_Then I am afraid that I will not be of use to you. I am ashamed of you, Christopher._" With that, she ceased communications.

"NICOLE, can we talk about this? NICOLE?"

"She's right, Captain. As your ranking officer, I am now ordering you to come assist." Hera said with the most military voice that she had ever uttered.

But still he hesitated. "Reclaimer, we must continue on our route if we are to reach the extraction facility."

He looked at the AI and then looked at Hera with a look of deep sorrow.

Abigail twitched her nose and puffed her cheeks in anger. "Roan, Jackson. Are you coming?"

Major, our assignment was to ensure the Captain gets out of here safely.

Abigail took one last look at Vennettilli. "My father would be ashamed of you too." She ran off towards the sound of gunfire, not once looking back.

"Oh yeah? Well _FUCK YOUR FATHER_! Guess the guy was a real prick anyway!" Chris suddenly bellowed. "Come on Mercs. Let's get moving. Sooner or later those Spartans will be on our asses, and I do not want to get MJOLNIR on my ass today."

* * *

Abigail ran down the corridor towards the sound of screaming people. She held her assault rifle in a white-knuckle grip. Using her keen sense of hearing, she pin-pointed where she needed to go. Ruby red lasers cut through the air, leaving a scent of ozone lingering around her. Soon, a lady wearing rags ran past her, screaming. The poor woman didn't even notice Abigail as she ran into the Library's depths.

She turned the corner and saw the village. It was a mess of prefabricated structures and jury-rigged shanties formed from Forerunner consoles. These were just people who wanted to start a new life. Criminals, the poor, and the adventurous resided in this dark place, unable to leave without their ships, and unable to show their faces to the outside world. It was a whole new society that she was vastly unprepared for.

A woman and children were backed into a corner. A duo of Sentinels were parading towards them charging their lasers. Abigail let loose a five-round burst towards the drones. The robots shuddered as the bullets pinged off an energy shield. They turned for a second, but then went back to the shuddering citizens. She then flicked on full auto and fired. The shield broke after a few seconds and then the armor took hits. One Sentinel fell sputtering to the ground and the other lost a portion of its body. It got off a laser that missed the little girl by seven centimetres before Hera blew it up. The little girl cried for a second, but then the Major was at her side.

"Don't cry. Everything's going to be alright! Look at the funny bunny!" She made a funny face and wiggled her nose. The child laughed repeating 'funny bunny!'

"Thank you so much!" The mother said.

"Just doing my job. What's going on here?"

"The Sentinels just attacked us! I've never seen them do anything like this before!"

"The Sentinels were never a problem before?"

"Not unless they were provoked! These things just snapped!"

"Who's doing the fighting?"

"The men and boys mostly! The women and children are trying to get away."

"And how many have managed to flee?"

"Some of us. You saw Julienne run around the corner. She was one of the lucky ones."

"It's alright. I'm here to help."

"W... what are you, by the way?"

Abigail smiled. "Long story. I'd head for an exit if I were you."

"Thank you! Bless you!"

The mother and children ran away for the village hopefully for safer parts.

"Bye, Funny Bunny!" the little girl said just before she disappeared into the darkness.

Abigail decided she needed to get into the fighting. She checked her magazine and was satisfied. She still had around fifty rounds left in her magazine which gave her around ten seconds of constant firing. She took off at a brisk pace thanks to her genetic speed advantage. She passed a burning building and saw a Sentinel on high. She blasted it and looked for another target. Soon, a hand was at her throat. She cried out and dropped her gun. She was forced into the ground. She gasped as she saw her attacker. It was a Sangheili female armed with an energy sword.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Take the hand off my throat and we'll talk!" Hera said.

The female was surprised. "You speak the language of the Humans, yet you are not one of them."

"Choking, not breathing!"

The female lifted her hand. "You have a weapon. We require your assistance in this matter."

"Why do _you_ have a sword?" The Major asked. "I thought only Zealots and Ultras carried swords."

"In regular Sangheili society perhaps." The female said. "If we followed traditional values. I am Har, Wife of Joro."

"I'm Abigail. Single for the moment."

"Come, Abigail! The fight awaits us!"

The pair charged into the village. Hera blew up another Sentinel before stopping to reload. A couple of men hid behind a building. "How are you holding up?" She asked.

"We're fine for the moment. Have some ammo to keep things interesting. Thanks for helping."

"Well, some people need the decency to help out."

"Amen to that. Ricky, I think there's another one coming over Doc's take the shot whenever you're ready."

Abigail saw a young boy, no more than 10 years old heft a sniper rifle and sight it.

"You have the shot, boy?"

"I do, dad."

"Let the bastard have it!"

Ricky pulled the trigger and the Sentinel fell from the sky. The father patted his boy on the back before seeing another pair coming to replace the destroyed one.

"Uh oh. Let me handle this, son. Give me the gun." The father took the sniper rifle and blew the other two out of the sky. "I think they're going to need some help over at the Aeroponics farm! Just follow the gunshots... whoever you are."

Abigail left the men and tried to find the aeroponics farm, which was easier said than done. Most of the buildings were identical in design, so it was tough to figure out where she was. So, she took the man's advice and followed the gunshots, leading to a fortified building with people at the front firing weapons at the Sentinels.

Abigail thought she could help here. She ran over to them and had a clear run thanks to their covering fire.

One of the villagers saw her. "Hey! Someone's coming to help!" They called. "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend! Major Abigail Hera!"

"She's military!" Another called. "You'll need to speak with Dyke! He's inside!"

A laser blast cut a man down. He cried out, grasping at his wound as a friend tried to help him out. Hera took the hint and went inside. It was an aeroponics farm, meaning that plants were grown with humid air. It seemed like a greenhouse. UV lights in the ceiling provided needed radiation, and pipes carried saturated air for the plants to take in. Among the food and plants though, there was the copper tinge of blood.

The wounded had been moved in here, and the closest thing to doctors helped casualties. Hera's heart sank as she saw bodies with white sheets over them, and a couple of the dead were small.

"Dyke?"

"Yeah, who's asking? Can't you see things are going to hell?" a gruff man with mutton chops responded.

"I want to help." Hera said.

"What are you?"

"Mobian. A long story." Hera said, silencing him before he could ask.

"You want to help, huh? Well, I'm the mayor of this village. You're just one lady though. What are you doing in the big bad Library all by yourself?"

"I was helping an 'associate' with a task. You know about an Extraction Room?"

Dyke shook his head. "No. Never heard anything about that. Tell you what though, you help us back those things off, and we'll provide whatever we can in return."

"Thank you."

"What happened to your 'associate'?" the mayor asked.

"Stupidity."

"He dead?"

"No, alive. But I hope he regrets not coming back to help us."

* * *

Hera was right. Vennettilli leaned up against a wall in silent thought.

"You OK? That's the third time you've stopped." Allen asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just thinking." Chris answered. "I think I made a real stupid mistake back there."

"You mean not helping the Major." Samantha said.

A distant string of gunshots made Chris flinch slightly. "Yes."

Samantha hobbled over. "Would you like me to speak freely?"

"You mean outside of your contract? Go for it."

"I think that was the stupidest thing that you have done on this whole trip."

"But we are so close to ending this whole thing."

"Captain." Allen said. "Do you know all the jobs that we have been through where we have had the opportunity to end a mission right there and then?"

"I don't know. Dozens?"

"Probably." Roan said. "You know on every single one of those missions I was motivated by nothing but money?"

"I would have guessed. You're PMC; doing people's dirty work for a pay check."

"Yes." Roan said. "And I regretted every single situation where I could have done a bit extra but instead was motivated by instant gratification. I'm asking you not to make the same mistake."

Vennettilli had to think about what Roan was saying. It wasn't just a job where he got paid at the end, people seriously wanted him for information locked in his head. He had the highest form of military espionage after him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Another round of gunshots. Chris closed his eyes.

"Reclaimer. The Extraction Facility is not far."

"I know! Shut up!" The Captain commanded. "Roan, Jackson, go with Penitent Tangent. Locate the Extraction room and radio its position to me. I'm going back there to help."

Both the hired guns nodded and smiled. "We'll be waiting for you." Samantha looked at 2401. "Let's go, Pen."

"Of course, Reclaimer." The AI said cheerfully.

"2401!" Chris called. The floating sphere rotated.

"Is there something I can assist you with?"

"Yes. No more future attacks on these citizens. They are under our protection."

2401 looked as if it were confused. "But there are non-Reclaimers among them!"

"I am explicitly ordering you to cease and desist any unprovoked attacks on the citizens here. Is that command accepted?"

"Command accepted. It will be adhered to, Reclaimer."

"Good. Now show these fine people to the extraction room." With that, he turned on his heel and ran for the village.

* * *

Dyke's forces were spread pretty thin. In the last twenty minutes, seven waves of Sentinels had come to replace those that were destroyed. The villagers were almost out of ammunition, but they did start to take the destroyed beam weapons that the Sentinels had and used it against them. These were weapons that could hit instantly because they were powerful particle beams. The funny thing was that they were insanely useful against the drones.

Abigail had dropped her Assault Rifle in favour of the Sentinel Beams long ago. She hefted the heavy device to hip height and began blasting whatever she could, careful not to hit any villagers.

The town was in ruins thanks to the robots constantly firing at them. Buildings were charred and gouged with lasers. Bodies lay on the ground smouldering. The stench of burnt meat hung in the air. It was so much, and yet it barely made her flinch.

"Burnes, Wylde! Move around to the secondary barricade and let loose!"

Two men with goggles nodded and slipped away into a mess of buildings. Soon, two ruby beams shot from the structures and a few more Sentinels fell. Upon the robots' destruction, two more people rushed onto the battlefield and grabbed them for future use.

Then a big one came from nowhere. It was large, had an energy shield in front of it, and a set of grappling claws.

"What is this?" Hera asked in desperation.

"Enforcer." Dyke said with a hint of bitterness. "Only dispatched when a situation becomes dire. My grandfather was killed by one when he accidently pissed it off.

"Tactics?" Hera asked.

"Pray. Nobody I know has ever taken one of these things down." He stroked his mutton chops and loosened his collar. "I think we should get everyone inside and plan an escape. This place is toast."

"You've been here for generations." Abigail said.

"Yeah, well the monitor has finally decided that we've pissed him off enough. We're pulling up stakes. I think we can find a few towns nearby that can give us some help. Besides, this is no place to raise kids." He gave a nervous smile.

Suddenly a new chorus of gunfire joined the rest. It was Vennettilli! Abigail was surprised to see him. The Marine sprinted into the area firing off his weapon in short controlled bursts, dropping Sentinels like game birds. The Enforcer decided to take notice and moved towards him. It was then that Abigail saw it.

"Look! The rear is unshielded! If we can hit that area, we can drop the Enforcer."

"So simple it's brilliant." Dyke said. "Guess the Forerunners never learned how to cover their asses. Listen up, boys!" He called to the surviving defenders. "Enforcer's showing its rear and it turns out there's no shielding in the nether regions! Now that fine man over there has provided us with a window of opportunity! Hit it with everything you got!

The villagers fired. Their bullets made small pings in the hull of the Enforcer. The massive machine took notice and looked straight at Abigail, as if it personally wanted her dead. Missiles shot out of its back.

"Scatter!" she cried out. The militia broke rank and dove for cover. The missiles landed and blew the structures apart. The mayor was tossed ten feet against a wall and stopped moving. "DYKE!" Hera cried.

* * *

Vennettilli knew he was at the party late, but as the old adage went, "_Better late than never_". He had a feeling of self-resentment for leaving these people to their fate. He saw a glimpse of a person he didn't want to know, and he had to make up for it.

But what was going on? 2401 gave his personal assurance that the people wouldn't be harmed. An Enforcer was blasting away at buildings! He would need answers. He saw a female Sangheili armed with an energy sword absorbed needle-like rounds and fall to the ground with the deactivated hilt rolling from her fingers.

He needed to grab that thing's attention. "HEY! LOOK AT ME!" He shouted and fired a single shot. It pinged off the robot's shield and it gave no attention. He then blasted the rest of his magazine before picking up a Sentinel Beam.

The device was heavy in his hands, more than the rifle. He fired a long beam of energy so that it cut through one of the claws. The appendage slammed into the ground. Needless to say, the Forerunner machine took notice.

As soon as the Enforcer turned to face the Captain, Hera and the survivors shot at the exposed part of the Enforcer, taking advantage of the surprisingly simple combat programs. Chris was about to take a shot when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He gasped out of shock and turned his head. Before he could recognize his attacker, he was flung into a wall. Before he knew it, he was staring into three reflective visors.

"Oh shit."

"You led us on a bit of a chase." John-117 said in an even voice.

"Looks like we caught you." The female said. "Never try to outsmart a Spartan. It doesn't end well."

"Let me go. I'm trying to help these people!"

"The only thing you'll be doing is coming with us nice and slowly." John growled. "You've been enough trouble."

"Lieutenant, I am ordering you to let me go!"

The male Spartan said, "You have no rank. You were stripped of your commission and your honours as soon as you fled from Earth. You're just a punk terrorist."

"John! Please! These people need help!"

The Spartan looked behind him to see the Enforcers and the Sentinels attacking the village. His grasp loosened and he turned back to the prisoner.

"What's going on here? Why are you in the Library?"

Chris fired back, "How did _you_ get through the shield?"

"ONI disruption torpedoes launched from our ship. That barrier has been offline for the last two hours. It's not coming back up." The female said.

"I'll ask again. What's going on, Vennettilli?" The Spartan asked, once again grasping at the young man's collar.

"I'm just trying to figure out WHAT'S IN MY FUCKING HEAD!" He screamed. Spittle flew from his mouth and hit the Spartans' visors.

"Swell." The female said.

"Making a little side trip then?" The male Spartan asked. "Not exactly finding out what's in your head, is it?"

"Listen, PEOPLE ARE DYING! Help me out and then you can decide what to do with me!"

"Do you promise to give yourself up?"

"JUST HELP ME FIRST!"

John nodded to his men. "Alright Spartans. Let's save these people."

They started firing once more on the Enforcer, who was blasting at the defenders. When the Spartans shot, they drew attention away from the survivors. After about ten minutes of shooting, the beast finally gave up and fell from the sky with a thud. Soon, the last of the machines were shot down. The village was safe.

Chris ran to find Hera. She was over the body of Dyke who was killed when he hit the wall.

"His spine broke on impact." The doctor said. "Probably died instantly. I'm sorry, Major."

"What a waste." Abigail said shaking her head. She saw Chris flanked by the Spartans. "Oh Jesus!" she said grabbing her chest. "You scared me!" She looked at the supersoldiers and frowned. "I guess we're done, huh? We lost."

"Who is this?" John asked.

"Major Abigail Hera. Mobian Air Force."

"Hmm, never expected to see another race member this far out." The female said. She unhooked her helmet to reveal a Collie with chin-length hair. "Sir, there was nothing in the mission briefing that suggested any accomplices. When did you join this man after you left Mobius?"

"From the start." Hera said truthfully.

"You think Command's leaving us out of the loop, LT?" The Mobian Spartan asked.

"We do not question orders, Kim." John said solemnly. "We should be arresting them on sight."

"We would anger the citizens." The male said. "Would we be forced to attack civilians?"

It was a contradiction to everything that John was taught as a soldier. If the civilians got rowdy, he would be forced to harm them. He could not allow himself to stoop to a lower level.

"Kim. Keep an eye on Vennettilli. If he makes any move that might suggest escape, detain him."

"With pleasure." Kim said with a look of pleasure in her eyes. She whispered in his ear, "You make one false move, and I will rip your cock off and shove it down your throat."

Chris shuddered. "Well. Some like it rough, I guess."

"_For what it's worth, I would like to reveal myself too_."

"Who said that?" Amir asked.

"_Chief, it's me, NICOLE. Or should I say 'Lieutenant'?_"

"NICOLE. It's been some time."

"_Sure has. How's Cortana_?"

"Fine." The Spartan said.

"_Chris, project me_."

Vennettilli pulled the console from his belt and let the lynx project herself.

Kim blinked. "You're the Princess' personal AI unit!"

"You would be correct." NICOLE said. "Anxious to hear how I got here?"

"He's a thief!" Kim accused.

"No. I came of my own free will. Sally _gave_ me to him before he left."

Chris could tell that NICOLE was trying to use all the evidence she could to get the Spartans on their side.

"She _gave_ you to him? Voluntarily? But my brother's a guard at the palace! The only way she would trust a Human like that would be if... oh Christ..."

"On the money. I have recordings if you don't believe me!"

"You have _WHAT?_" The Captain gasped.

"No! I'm fine actually..." Kim said a bit embarrassed.

As if to make everything even more interesting, a radio call came in.

"_Captain. Are you reading me_?" It was Jackson.

"Go ahead." Chris said tapping his COM set.

"_We found the lift that will take us to the Data Extraction Center_._ 2401's getting giddy at the prospect of seeing this beast at work._" She said. "_Where are you guys? Did you win?_"

"Yeah we won." Chris said. "Stand by. We'll be at your position soon."

John had to ask. "Who was that?"

"Private military corporation officers assigned to protect me."

"They were _hired_ to protect you?" Kim asked. "Sir, that means that somebody had knowledge of the bounty put on him beforehand! This changes everything!"

John nodded. Even he couldn't ignore this. "Looks like someone's been making some back-room deals. I don't like what's going on here."

Amir was puzzled. "So... what do we do then?"

"Our duty, Petty Officer. But first, we discover what exactly President Marshall wants in his head. We'll make our way towards the PMC officers. Vennettilli, Major, you will take point. If any Sentinels attack us, I want you to take them out."

* * *

Abigail took a minute to talk to the survivors of the attack. 30 people had been killed including women and children. The survivors were huddled near the aeroponics farm which had held up during the attack. Dyke's brother, Geoff was declared mayor on his stead.

"Are you all going to be OK?"

Geoff nodded. "I think so. But things changed today. We've lived here 100 years and nothing had ever given us trouble. But today, the machines just went crazy. I don't think we ever could have anticipated something like this. I guess it turns out we really weren't meant to live in a place like this."

John gave a silent laugh. _No kidding. Tell that to me when I was on this ring last time._

"We'll just have to make our way to another town. Maybe they'll take us in. I just want to leave this place though. Anywhere but here." Geoff said.

Abigail smiled. "I guess you'll be a community on the move."

"Yeah, modern nomads."

The Mobian then sighed. "Geoff, I'm sorry about your brother."

"I know. I know it wasn't the way he wanted to go, but he helped save the village. Thank you Major. Thank you for helping us."

Abigail blushed, she was a hero, and she knew it!

"I have to leave now. I wish you all luck wherever you're headed."

"Bye Funny Bunny!" The little girl from before said.

"Bye bye!" Abigail said back. Then she left to join the Spartans and her comrades.

* * *

"Ready to go?" John asked.

"Yeah. Let's find that room. Interesting side trip."

"I'll say." Vennettilli commented. "A village in the Library. What a thought that is." He then chuckled and asked, "Hey, I wonder if your father would forgive me if I told him I was sorry."

Abigail smiled. "I'm pretty sure he would. Thank you for coming back."

"I turned into someone that scared me. I had to do the right thing. Regulations be damned."

"That's why I know you love Sally. You're a real person inside of that tough exterior and military bravado."

"Thanks." Vennettilli said chuckling.

"_For what it's worth Captain, I'm glad you made the right choice too_." NICOLE said.

"Thanks for giving me a kick in the ass to speed things along."

"_I knew you'd do well. You just needed some persuasion_."

"Thanks again. We'll talk about these 'recordings' later, NICOLE."


	17. Chapter 17: Worst Day Since

Chapter 17: Worst Day Since...  
May 19th, 3239, 1345 hours  
Installation 05, Substance System  
The Library

"You know, I still don't know why you're even helping us, Chief." Chris said.

"Lieutenant." The Spartan corrected.

"I see. Congratulations by the way. You didn't answer my question: why are you helping us?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, I'm curious too. Aren't these guys terrorists?"

John exhaled. "Something's not right. None of our reports indicated accomplices. They always assumed you were working alone."

"I was with him the whole time." Hera noted. "Ever since we left Mobius."

"Indeed. I've looked up your record, Vennettilli."

"_Captain_." Chris insisted.

"As of 1400 hours on May 11th of this year, you have been stripped of your rank and your honors. You are no longer a member of the UNSC Marine Corps. You don't even have a campaign medal to your name. You're effectively a terrorist."

The young man stayed silent. He knew his career was done, but he mustered as much dignity as there was left in him. "Well go on. How did things get messed up?"

"When I checked your files, it said that you had no flight experience whatsoever, and no training with weaponry like that that destroyed the _Elijah Jones_. Yet you were able to outrun the military vessels that pursued you. You were also on a royal freighter. I checked the tags."

"_You know Spartan, he didn't get away without help_."

"That's your AI companion, correct?" John asked.

Chris projected NICOLE. She looked the warrior over. "Nice armor. I see the Navy reconfigured the design."

The Lieutenant didn't say anything. "Actually, I called your bluff. I wasn't anticipating the AI. If it weren't for that, you would be over my shoulder with ten broken ribs."

"And when it comes to a Spartan and injuries, you guys don't mess around." The young Human said seriously.

"What can we say?" Amir chuckled. "We do a clean job."

"You would have never seen us coming." Kim admitted.

"Stow it, Spartans." The Lieutenant said.

"What are we supposed to find here?" Kim asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's supposed to be something called the Cypher. It's most likely Forerunner."

That made sense to John. Why else would they be in this place? For a second, John considered apprehending the disgraced Marine and bringing him to the Cypher chamber. But what would that solve? This man wouldn't respond to torture, and he might accidently kill Vennettilli. That would be a direct violation of his orders. Still, something wasn't right here, and it was overriding all of his military training. "Of course... It's been some time since I've been here."

"Were you on this ring?" Hera asked.

"Not exactly. I was on the first Halo we found after Reach fell. I was running around the Library with the Monitor."

"Oh. I see." Chris said. He was hesitant to tell John about 2401. He knew from military history that the Spartan II did fight on Delta Halo. Despite what the Chief told him, Chris still didn't trust this man. He knew that he had gone through enough: murder, false charges, a government conspiracy, world-shaking mysteries, stripped of his rank, and above all, a nervous fiancée. ONI may have just sent John to lull him into a false sense of security or humiliate him one more time before apprehending him.

"Roan, are you reading me?"

"_Loud and clear. What's going on_?"

"We're closing on your position. Whatever you do, don't raise your weapons."

"_May I ask why_?"

"We have Spartans with us."

"... _say that one more time, Human_?" Jackson asked.

"Just sit tight. We'll be there in ten minutes."

* * *

Outside of the Library, the Hunter escort ship was hovering close to the hole made by the Spartans in the Library's walls. Inside of the ship, the leaders of these drugged supersoldiers paced impatiently.

"How long?" one of them asked. Whatever light there gleamed off their shaved heads and bulging muscles, barely kept in place by tight black T-shirts.

"Too long. They have not checked in."

"Call them."

"No. It is their mission."

"The Stalkers are growing impatient."

"I understand! Just give them more time!"

"Lieutenant! I am giving you a direct order! You will stand down and let me contact the Spartans."

The Hunter Lieutenant glared at his superior with dark eyes. He set his jaw and stood up from his console. "Access, Major."

The superior Hunter smiled and sat down at the control panel.

"_Spartans, answer me_."

* * *

Kim snarled. "Great. Progress report time."

"This is Spartan 117." John said. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"_Spartan 117, what is your status_?"

John said the first thing that sounded logical. "We are in pursuit."

"_You have been in pursuit for hours now! Why haven't you captured the fugitive_?"

"He's fled into the bowels of the facility. We need to find his location through a console."

"_That will no longer be necessary. We are deploying the Stalkers to aid you in your mission. Stand by for support_."

"That is unnecessary! I can complete the mission!"

"_My orders are absolute, Spartan 117! Stand by for backup!_"

"Yes sir." John said. He closed down the COM. "Alright, our time has just run dangerously low. I'll take point. Vennettilli and Hera are center. Kim and Amir, bring up the rear. Let's get to that room people!"

"Yes sir, Lieutenant." Chris said.

* * *

"Do you believe them? Are you sure they haven't turned on us?" the Sergeant asked.

"For what reason? Spartans are loyal to the UNSC. We are in no danger." He looked at his subordinate and arced an eyebrow. "I think it is time we released the Stalkers."

"They _are_ impatient." The Sergeant said with an evil smile.

Below the dropship, a magnetic clamp holding a cargo container unlatched, and the box fell and smashed on the ancient landing pad. From the wreckage, twisted shadows of men crawled about and mumbled maniacally. Their metallic limbs whined as actuators pulled them up with great strength. Some roared as they became free. Their voices had been destroyed by the synthesizer put over their mouths, and their feral nature just served even worse.

They had no other desire than to rip the flesh from someone's bones. Chemicals and Rumbledrugs pumped into their system told them to find a way inside, since that's where they could kill. Stalkers weren't smart enough to climb up ropes or tethers, meaning that the first place they went was the shield door.

With the intelligence of an ox, the lead stalker cried a shrill note and charged forward, impacting on the door with the force of a car. The Stalker seemed to jitter wildly and then was thrown back into the wreckage of the cargo container. It thrashed and then stopped moving. The other Stalkers roared and threw themselves at the door in anger. They were all shocked with this strange device. They were trapped though and the Hunter Commander knew it.

"This is painful to watch. We need to get them up to another doorway."

Using a transceiver, the Hunters relayed orders to the Stalkers, to which the creatures listened intently. They moved back to the ship into the cargo bay where they were dropped originally. Once secured aboard, the craft lifted into the air and started moving around the facility.

"There must be a way. The Forerunners had multiple entrances through their facilities."

"They are all sealed." The Commander reported. "We can only get in through the access hatch." He called to the pilot. "Bring us up to where the Spartans entered. Send in the Stalkers, and then let Bushmann follow them in. Ensure he is provided with a weapon.

The Spartans hadn't sealed their entry point, meaning that the Hunter Killers had a way into the facility. The Stalkers leapt from the open cargo doors and onto the catwalk. One tripped and fell over the side. It wasn't a scream that came from the tortured soul, but more of a groan, as he would never have the chance to kill or maim his target. The others didn't bat an eyelash and entered the halls of the Library.

Bushmann entered last, armed with an assault rifle and an armor suit. He tapped his wrist and an energy shield popped into place around him. "This is Seven. I am in. Pull back and await further contact."

"_Viper copies all, Seven. Pulling back now. Good luck_."

Bushmann cracked his neck. His beefy muscles rippled in this one simple motion. He took off at a brisk run to catch up to the impatient Stalkers.

* * *

"Reclaimers!" 2401 said cheerfully. "It does my heart good to see you well and heading towards your goal!"

John unlimbered his assault rifle and aimed it at the Monitor. Amir and Kim did so too before anybody could blink.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Hera said, utterly shocked. "What's going on here?"

"John... put the gun down. He's a friend."

_Where have I heard that before?_ The Spartan thought. "Not this time." He said solemnly.

2401 blissfully looked at the supersoldiers and then to the Captain. "Have I offended someone?"

"No funny stuff, Lite Brite!" Kim growled, ears folded to the side of her head.

"Funny? I am not aware..." the AI said. Then, he hovered closer to the Spartan. John backed off carefully. "Unless my circuitry is amiss, I believe that I have seen you before."

"A couple m..." John said, before realizing where he was again. "It was a long time ago. The Gravemind had you in its grasp."

"The Gravemind!" Chris cried out. He suddenly stepped towards John. "You think he's been corrupted?"

"I don't know. Get behind me."

Abigail followed the young man behind the mass of armor. "Chris, what's going on?"

"The Gravemind; the leader of the Flood had this AI at its mercy."

The AI actually sighed. "What an absolutely _deplorable_ ordeal that was! Utterly _dreadful_. The Infestation delayed the activation of the Installation. After all that time, I was held short. Eventually, I was notified that all actions regarding Outbreak Protocol was to be terminated following the shutdown of the Installation."

"Poor guy was out of a job." Amir said.

"_Remember Spartan, this 'job' was to destroy all complex life in the galaxy!_" NICOLE warned.

"How can I explain Protocol when everyone objects!" 2401 said angrily.

Vennettilli tried to reason with the Lieutenant. "Spartan, I understand you've had issues with AI in the past, and 2401 may have had a few screws loose in the past, but he's really on our side. He just wants to be useful again."

The AI just hovered there still looking at John, who held his gun unwaveringly. Then, the helmet cocked and the gun lowered. "Stand down, Spartans." He ordered. Kim and Amir stowed their weapons. "You're off the hook, but if you so much so much as send a Sentinel after us, I will blow you out of the sky."

"Your rage is misplaced, Reclaimer." 2401 said. "Your weapon will not do much damage to me otherwise. My defensive systems can overcome you. If you are adamant to try, I suggest upgrading your Class 2 Combat Skin to-"

"Not again. Let's move out, people!"

* * *

The Stalkers galloped through the Library. They screamed in delight as the scent of their prey grew stronger. Out of the corners of their eyes, they could see other people. They were not the targets, and shouldn't be killed. At least unless they were ordered to.

Suddenly, one saw movement out of the corner of their eye. They screamed in delight and turned to meet a frightened man who cowered against the wall. "What are you?" He said horrified.

"UNSC." the Hunter said honestly. "Who are you?"

"I'm Darren, from the village nearby."

"Do you recognize this man?" The Hunter tapped his wrist device and a holographic representation of the Captain appeared.

"Yeah! He and that rabbit girl saved our village!"

"Viper, this is Seven. Can you confirm subject description?"

"_Seven, Viper. We confirm. Subject description matches based on the Hunter Killer teams dispatched to Talahan_."

"Did you see anyone else?" Bushmann asked.

"No. Just those two. What's going on here?"

"Stay calm. Your village will be processed soon."

"Processed? What?" Before he could say another word, a Stalker pounced on him and slammed his head into the ground, screeching in satisfaction.

Bushmann ordered them on. It was likely he would catch his prey by cornering them. The Library was a big place and it was likely they would be trapped somewhere. The Hunter was a little disturbed by the behaviour of his Stalkers. They seemed too happy for an occasion like this. The bloodlust in their eyes was palpable. It was if they were kept in a room for months with nothing but their nutritional chemicals to keep them alive. Upon release, they would be insane – more so than they were now. He supposed that it was a way of making sure your soldiers would so anything, even if it was to tear them limb from limb. The lead Stalker hooted. They were really getting close.

* * *

"CAPTAIN!" Jackson said with her gun raised.

"What the HELL is going on here?" Amir said, outraged. "Who are you?"

"Allen Roan and Samantha Jackson" the other Human. "Vanguard Private Security Forces."

_More accomplices, _the Lieutenant thought. "Did Vennettilli contract your services?"

"No." Samantha answered. "Our orders came straight from CEO Gustoff."

Kim looked like she couldn't take anymore. "Conspiracies, terrorism, and now a PMC CEO is in on the whole thing? Sir, I say we just shoot them and get it over with!"

"STAND DOWN!" the Spartan barked. "There will be NO shooting! Kim, check yourself, or you will be relieved of your weapon! Amir, make sure she's under control!"

Chris still asserted his command although he had been disgraced. "I'd like to add that the sooner that we're here bitching, the quicker that reinforcements will be right behind us."

Kim's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Oh you have no idea."

A shriek filled the still air. Everyone jumped.

"That's our cue to move, guys!" Chris said urgently. "Jackson, Roan! Did you find the chamber?"

"Just inside." Allen said. He took out his ancient M1911 and inserted a magazine. "Just in case."

"I hope we don't have to use those." Hera added. "Spartans, let's get inside."

Jackson and Roan were guarding a door about eight feet high and five feet across. Energy field emitters sat unused, which indicated that 2401 had deactivated the aperture. The Captain ordered everyone inside. The Spartans even nodded in agreement and passed through the gate. Chris looked back into the mists of the Library and followed his company.

The hallway they were in was long and seemingly never-ending. Every now and then, a faint blue light would pulse along the length of the tunnel for some unknown purpose.

"What's that?" Samantha asked.

"A minor subsystem, nothing of consequence." 2401 said in a bit of a dismissive tone.

_Uh huh, sure. Anything minor on this ring has the potential to level cities_. The Captain thought. He had never been on a Halo before, but he knew that the Forerunners were not to be fucked with, no matter where you met them.

The hallway then led to the most amazing thing any of them had ever seen. It was a room, but at the same time it seemed like another plane of existence entirely. They were standing in what seemed like a void, peppered with millions of stars of all colors and sizes. In the 'distance', a galaxy twirled in space. It might have been the Milky Way.

Then it changed. They were standing in the eye of a hurricane blowing over an unknown ocean. All around them, chaotic wind and lightning reigned, but a glance upward revealed a beautiful blue sky with a golden sun shining on them. A poetic juxtaposition crafted by the Forerunners' mind boggling machines.

"So... where the hell are we?" Kim asked. "Where's the door?"

They looked around and indeed could not find the door they came in.

"_Hang tight people. I'm doing a scan of the room_." NICOLE reported. She said a second later, "_Well, good news: the room is only about two hundred feet wide at its longest point, it's roughly semi-spherical with the roof above us_."

"But _what is this place_?" John asked, mesmerized.

"This is the Extraction Chamber." 2401 said gleefully. "At last our journey is complete! I am glad we have taken this time together!" The AI buzzed around the room. "It has been some time since I was here, prior to the initial activation of the facility!"

"Over a hundred thousand years ago." Spartan 117 said. He wondered to himself as to whether this room was on the fist Halo he was at.

"What are these images?" Major Hera asked.

"These represent memories of the previous occupants of this room. My creators stored memories for future generations to study. Far away planets, natural phenomena, flora and fauna, criminal investigations; all of these memories were extracted in rooms like these."

"...and over the past hundred millennia they've just been sitting here." Chris reasoned. "Jesus Christ. Is that a Black Hole?"

The image shifted again. They were standing on an event horizon of a black hole. The monster was just there, absorbing matter into infinity. It was a beautiful thing to witness; nobody would have gotten this close to seeing anything similar without getting pulled in. Twin jets of energy blasted out of the monster into space. A comet strayed too close to the black hole and stretched like putty into the infinitely dense core.

"Mobius protect me." Kim said in awe.

"Someone should take a picture. It'll last longer."

"Done." John chuckled. _Actually chuckled._

The moment wore off, and they were back to questioning 2401. "Enough of these memories!" Chris demanded. "I have hundreds of men after me that want me DEAD. Can you tell me how to get this god damned Cipher out of my head?"

2401 just looked at the Captain for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Vennettilli say a pedestal rise from nothingness. He walked over to see it. Two holographic displays flickered to life. Alien characters spread across the displays. "What do I do?"

A screech pierced everyone's ears.

"_You better hurry up, Human._" NICOLE said. "_We're running out of time_!" Everyone else took up defensive positions and waited for the worst to come. Samantha hung back due to her leg and inserted a magazine into her rifle. "We'll keep them busy for as long as we can." She said.

"Nobody's getting killed over this." The young man said. "Once I'm finished, we give ourselves up."

"No!" Abigail cried. "You can't do that! They'll take it from you and kill you!"

"They _need_ me now." He said. "Follow my orders, and give me some cover while I get this machine working. Lieutenant!"

"Yes, sir."

Chris noticed that he referred to him as _sir_. He truly was in command once more, and it felt _good_.

"The basics of the mechanism are simple, Reclaimer." Penitent Tangent said. "Place your palm on this pad."

Vennettilli did as told. His hand felt resistance as it touched the light. "OK, now what?"

"Relax."

"Seriously?"

"I suppose so. The machine is scanning you." The AI said.

Chris then felt an intense pressure in his brain. His skull began to feel compressed. "Is... this part of the ride?"

The AI remained silent. He then said, "The Construct is complete. Stand by."

The pain in his skull was gone, and his skin felt like it was electrically charged. When he opened his eyes, he was in a meadow. Birds sang in the distance, and there was a sweet summer breeze kissing his cheek. He breathed deep, and sighed happily. He was safe here.

* * *

"FIRE AT WILL!" Hera called. They sprayed the tunnel with gunshots. Stalkers fell rapidly as they absorbed bullets. They fired in accurate pulses. Allen used his 1911 which fired a massive .45 caliber shot.

One of the Stalkers got close to Hera who swiped it with the butt of her rifle. She heard the sick sound of bones snapping, but her eyes widened in shock when she saw the beast turn its head and look at her with its neck bent at nearly 90 degrees. She screamed and fired at it until her magazine ran dry.

Two Stalkers charged at Amir, but he was ready for them. He slammed both fists onto their heads which took them out of action immedietely. Their inertia knocked him over. Kim offered him her hand.

"Need some help, partner?"

"Shut up."

As soon as a muscly Hunter entered the room, The Spartans stopped firing and grabbed the hands of the unarmored Human and Mobians.

"Hey, what the HELL!" Allen roared.

"We thought you were on OUR side!" Samantha said baring her teeth and growling.

"You _thought _we were on your side." John solemnly said. "Never underestimate your enemy." He kept Abigail's arms locked behind her arms. "On the authority of the United Nations Space Command and the Office of Naval Intelligence, I am placing you under arrest for mass murder, partaking in terrorist acts against the UNSC, evading arrest, and attacking UNSC forces."

"Suck my bunny tits!"

Bushmann nodded. "Excellent work. Spartan."

Suddenly, Hera heard a buzz in her COM set. "_Don't struggle. Don't make eye contact with me. Just look at Bushmann_." Hera felt a gauntleted hand squeeze her shoulder. She knew that he had the power to shatter her shoulder bones. The squeeze felt deliberately soft. Reassuring. She stole glances towards the other Spartans and their prisoners. They were looking straight at the Hunter.

Then a moment of shock registered on Bushmann's face. "Wait. Where is he?"

Jackson looked around, and then smiled sweetly. "Where's _who?" _

_"WHERE IS VENNETTILLI_? _WHERE IS HE?_"

The Hunter could have screamed all he wanted, but it wouldn't change the fact that all that was in the room was ten Stalkers, three Spartans, three prisoners, and one empty pedastal among the stars.

* * *

The meadow seemed to go on forever. There were mountains in the distance, but they were so far away. Where was he? He looked into the sky for a clue, but there was nothing but a single ringed moon or larger planet and a white yellow star.

He wandered around in the knee high grass. He found a couple ponds with animals bathing themselves. A cute looking animal with feathers, three eyes and a tail was washing itself.

He had to get his concentration back. Wherever he was, he was here for a reason.

He glanced at his belt. NICOLE was still there.

"Can you hear me?"

"_This is paradise_." NICOLE said. "_This is absolute beauty. Chris, I want to see it_."

He retrieved the computer and projected NICOLE, who saw the sky, the grass and the mountains. "There's nothing on Mobius like it." She said. "Not even the Great Plains has anything that compares to this."

"So is this real or fake?"

NICOLE sighed and waved her arms. "Everything that I'm getting tells me that this place is, in fact real."

"_You have arrived_."

Chris wheeled around. Out of nowhere, a tree stretching into the clouds appeared. Standing beneath the branches was a figure made of light. It made Christopher nervous, and he backed away for a second.

"_Do not be afraid. Come forward, my child_."

"Who are you?"

"_I am all that remains of the Librarian, the guardian of Erde-Tyrene._"

"Are you a Forerunner?"

"_That is what we were called, yes_."

NICOLE asked, "How are you speaking to us? Your language has been dead for hundreds of thousands of years, let alone your race."

"_The machine you used to access this geas, it read your memories, and allowed me to speak in a way you would understand_."

The fragment of the Librarian kept an even voice and still looked warm and inviting. Chris decided to press the issue. "You know why we're here."

"_Indeed. You are here to stop the coming darkness_."

"What 'darkness'?"

"_Many years ago, the Array that would be used to cleanse the galaxy was deactivated. It was decided that should this happen, a device would be placed in the center of this galaxy that would destroy everything as a last resort_."

Chris nodded. "You're talking about the Halos then. I thought _they_ were the weapons of last resort."

"_They were; yes." _The fragment said_. "However, our leaders thought that it was not enough. When the Array was deactivated, it started a countdown. For nearly a millennium this countdown has been slowly progressing, and soon the device will detonate, sterilizing the galaxy forever_."

"How could you come up with such a device?" NICOLE cried out. "You're committing genocide!"

"_It would be better to die by the quick hands of the device than fall prey to the Flood._"

"Your people died for nothing. The Flood returned after you activated the Array." Chris said.

"_Would you do the same thing in our place_?" The Librarian's fragment asked. "_My sweet cha_manune. _It is a decision that I don't expect you to understand. For now, you must stop the apocalypse that we engineered._"

"You hid information in the Chaos Emeralds."

"_The Emeralds were the key. Various crystals of our people were used as data storage and power devices_."

"Wait, the Chaos Emeralds were just batteries?" NICOLE said shocked. "Jesus Christ."

"_Among other things. Geas were planted in the Emeralds for the Humans, our heirs, to find. Here you are._"

"What is the Cipher?" the Human demanded.

"_The Cipher is key for stopping the device. I would tell you, but there is a block._"

"A block?" NICOLE asked.

"_A firewall in my programming that prevents me from giving you the Cipher. There is a test_."

"A test?" NICOLE asked.

"And I forgot to study." Chris joked.

The environment changed in an instant. The meadow was gone, and he found himself on a ruined city street. He recognized it as New Mombasa where he fought four years ago.

"I remember this." He said.

"So do I." NICOLE added. "Where's the Overmind or the Zerg?"

"I guess they weren't important here."

"_This was a vision created by your subconscious. You were faced with a traumatic event here, and it is your own fear that is blocking what you seek._"

"So, how do I get the key then? Stop being afraid?"

"_It is a test of your resolve_."

"CHRISTOPHER!"

He nearly jumped and looked down the street. There, with a huge smile across her face was Sally. Tears were running down her cheeks as she ran towards him. She was dressed in her boots and vest, which seemed odd considering the setting.

"My beautiful, beautiful Human!" She wrapped her arms around him. "I knew I'd see you again!"

A smile broke the Captain's face. He hadn't smiled like this in almost a month. A group of tears ran down his cheeks as he comforted her and stroked her hair like he always did. "My beautiful Sally." He gasped. "Oh baby."

She looked up at him with watery sapphire eyes. "You'll never leave me again?"

"I'll be with you..."

"...until your dying breath! I love you so much!" She kissed him with such energy that it caught Vennettilli off-guard.

"Uh... Chris..." NICOLE said.

He didn't hear her. The young man kissed his fiancée back, and ran his hands up and down her back. "I've been dreaming about you for weeks. I've wanted to see you again! No more waiting, we need to get... married."

He looked at her left hand, and immediately released the Princess.

"Christopher, what's wrong?"

"Where's your ring?"

Sally looked shocked. "What ring? What are you talking about?"

"THE RING I GAVE YOU! THE GOLDEN ENGAGEMENT RING! I told you that I would spend the rest of my life with you! WHERE IS IT?"

"You're scaring me! STOP IT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

"She's not Sally." Chris reasoned.

"Bingo." NICOLE agreed.

"_You have been observant. This is not the woman you are in love with. She is a projection of your mind that has been altered by the Geas._" The Librarian lost all trace of warmth and maternal tone. "_The test is one of resolve. Kill her._"

That made Chris double take. "Wh—kill her?"

"_If you want the Cipher, you will complete the test_."

His hand felt heavy. In his hand was a bar. His fingers wrapped around it and a blade of energy flashed to life.

"I can't."

"_You will. You will not leave otherwise_."

"Dead or alive?"

The Librarian's fragment stood there, features hidden by bright light. "_I will not kill you, and here you cannot die. You will be forced to carry out the task, no matter how long it takes_."

NICOLE whispered to Chris, "Listen to me, Christopher. You need to do this. She isn't really Sally."

"I know." Christopher said. "I still can't do it. She's done nothing wrong!"

"Be a man! Do it!" NICOLE hissed. "Are you a Marine, or a little boy afraid to get his hands dirty! Grow a pair and get it over with!"

_I can't believe it. I'm getting told off by an AI_. He sighed sadly and nodded. "OK. I'll do it. I'll do it." He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sword. He turned around and walked slowly towards Sally.

"Christopher? What are you doing?"

He didn't say anything. There was a look of determination in his eye that would have frozen anyone in their tracks.

"Wh... what's that in your hand?"

The phantom of the Librarian hovered nearby, silently observing the young man's progress.

"No! DON'T DO IT!_ DON'T DO IT! I LOVE YOU!_"

Another tear fell from his eye. Even though he knew the woman in front of him was nothing more than an illusion, he felt horrified that he was going to do this act. "Don't cry." He said quietly. "This won't hurt at all." He raised the sword and prepared to jab.

"_**NO!**_"

He was thrown off his feet onto the concrete street. When he looked back towards Sally, she was enveloped in fire. Her eyes were burning white with fury. She was pacing towards him with such anger that debris fell from the buildings and the sky turned crimson red.

"I thought you LOVED ME! I thought you CARED ABOUT ME!"

Chris backed up, afraid of the conjuration that was advancing towards him. She sent a bolt of fire towards him.

"NICOLE, suggestions?"

"_You're on your own here, man_."

"Sally! I love you! I do more than anything in the world, but I need to do this!"

"YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT YOURSELF!" The illusion said. "YOU WOULD RATHER KILL ME TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN!"

"It's not for me!" He was running out of excuses to slow her down. He needed a way to get the advantage. "It's for us! The real us! Please! You can help save the entire galaxy!"

"Nobody meant as much to me as you!" The fire cooled to a dull red. "You were my knight! You were my hero! You gave me what Sonic couldn't! Now you want to throw that away!"

Her eyes changed back. The fire disappeared. "Stay with me here forever. You know nothing can hurt us here. You'll be safe with me."

The landscape changed again. They were in a lavish bedroom. A four poster was behind him with red velvet curtains and pillows.

"I want to be safe with you. I want to be with you and no-one else." Chris said, realizing that he had her now. "Forget everyone else. I don't know what I was thinking. I want you."

There was a tone in the illusion that seemed like she felt loved. "Really?"

"I mean it." Chris cooed.

The fire was gone. Sally was back to her normal self and had fallen into his arms. "Thank you." She said. "Thank you so much."

"I'd do anything for you, my love." He said in such a voice that he convinced himself of his honesty. "I want you to feel like no other woman in the world."

He kissed her neck. Even though this was a false image, he felt the warmth of her skin and the gentle pulse of her heart. She gasped in pleasure. "More." She cried. "I want more."

He lowered her onto the bed and she closed her eyes. "I want you to do anything you want to me."

"You've got it." He slammed the sword into her abdomen.

Sally gasped. Her eyes shot open and started to jitter in their sockets. Her mouth was agape in horror. The energy sword was jutting out of her body in the air. Before anything else happened, the landscape changed once more back to the green meadow, only it was night-time. Two moons hung in the sky illuminating the field. The dying Sally was in the shade of the giant tree, jittering in pain and shock.

"You... you...! How could you...!" She sobbed. She coughed, and a bit of blood stained her chest fur. "What did you do?"

"I'm so sorry." Christopher said. "Jesus, I'm so sorry. Forgive me!"

Tears fell from her eyes into the soil. "I loved you." She said weeping. "I loved you..." She cried for a few more minutes before losing consciousness. All the while he watched as she coughed up blood, bled, and shook violently before finally she died.

He just knelt there and looked at her defeated frame. What did he do? He killed her. He sat there and watched her die without doing the damndest thing to save her. What would that have solved? He just looked at her body once more and then lost it. He cried out into the night with ferocity. He fell to the ground beside her and looked at her beautiful face. Her eyes were closed in such a way that it didn't look like she was in pain.

Even though this was a projection of his mind, this was real to him, and he felt just as heartbroken as if the real Sally had died in front of him. He caressed her face and kissed her once on the forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! For Christ's sake, I wish there was another way!"

Her eyes then opened slowly. Chris gasped in surprise and backed away.

"You've passed the test." She said with a smile that was stained wth her blood. "You've proven yourself worthy of the Cipher."

"I... I killed you!"

"You killed what you thought was Sally." The illusion said. "You may access the data." She reached out and stroked his face once before fading away into bright light.

"_You did it!_" NICOLE said. "_I can't believe that happened!_"

"Me neither." Chris concluded.

The Librarian hovered, pleased with the outcome. "_My dear cha_manune. _The test was to face what you loved most. Would you be willing to sacrifice the one thing that mattered to you to save trillions? As the test shows, you are. Behold, the Cipher_."

The pressure on his skull returned, but with more ferocity than ever. He felt burning pain and couldn't keep in his head. He saw symbols and numbers in different languages. He saw visions of distant worlds and what looked like a gigantic black hole. That was it. The galaxy bomb was a gigantic black hole that would release energy at the speed and intensity of the Halo Array.

He fell to his knees. The knowledge was overwhelming.

"What do you see?" NICOLE asked.

"I see alien letters... numbers... things that aren't mine, but I remember them as if I saw them yesterday. I see planets... moons, a nebula... a supermassive black hole." When all was finished, He looked at the Librarian. "I am ready to proceed."

"_Cha_manune_, all that remains to be seen is how you reach the device. You have the Cipher and you have the strength needed to go the distance. I wish you luck and give you my blessing. This concludes my program, Human. Do our memories proud and I hope that there are no hard feelings between our two races._"

"Sure, why not?"

"_Program end. Returning to hub._"

Chris felt his skin ionize again and felt himself falling. Down the long tube he tumbled until he felt he was impacting the ground with incredible force. Then, he woke up.


	18. Chapter 18: Economy Class

Chapter 18: Economy Class  
May 29th, 3239, 0900 hours  
Installation 05, Substance System  
The Library, Memory Extraction Chamber

TEN DAYS LATER...

The pain in his head was dull, but he fought to keep himself steady. He opened his eyes and saw the unfeeling cold grey ceiling above him. Vennettilli ran his hands all over his face to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He felt the cold of the metal floor below him. He knew he was back.

Where was he just a second ago? Was it a dream? He woke up lying here as if nothing happened. Then he looked around.

"Hello?"

There was no response; only his own voice came back to him. There was silence once more. Then he realized with a chill that he was alone.

All alone.

"Hello?" He called again, this time more urgently. When nobody answered his cry, he found the pedestal that he was just at and sat next to it, putting his face onto his knees in deep thought. Everybody was gone. Then he noticed the device on his belt.

"NICOLE!"

She activated and sounded as if she were sleeping. "_Hmm... what_?"

"NICOLE! Come on! What's going on?"

"_Where is everyone_?"

"Gone. They're all gone."

"_Well they couldn't have left you! Where did they... no... that can't be right. It must be a mistake_."

"Let me hear it." The Human said, bracing for the worst.

"_I think this may be wrong, but my internal chronometer is telling me that _ten days _have passed since we entered that... thing_!"

"That can't be right! We were only gone for half an hour!" Chris checked his watch. He switched it to the Date Settings and noticed that his clock was telling him the same thing. He had been here for ten days. "Oh my God. But... how...?"

"_I have a theory. Perhaps the Forerunners were so advanced in their manipulation of pocket dimensions that they were able to create spaces where time flows differently for occupants._"

"Makes more sense than me having passed out here for ten days." The Captain growled. "Hello?" He called once more. To his surprise, he heard something.

"Reclaimer! Oh! It pleases me that you are intact!" 2401 Penitent Tangent hovered down from an access hatch. "I heard your voice and was overjoyed immediately."

"What happened here?" Chris asked. "Where is everyone?"

"You were... transported. I believe that is the best definition I can give you. You were brought to another realm where I assume you accessed the Cipher. You were gone for quite some time."

"_So I was right! The Forerunners messed with time and space once more!_"

"According to the data I am allotted on the subject, yes. I believe that was indeed the case."

Chris clenched his jaw. He needed more answers. "Where is everyone, 2401?"

"They have been moved."

"_Moved? By whom_?"

"The Reclaimers wearing the Class 2 Combat suits, I do believe."

The Spartans. Damn. Looks like they weren't with the good guys at all. Or were they? Spartans were determined to accomplish their objectives, regardless of passed time. He should have woken up with three visors standing over him.

This was confusing. He put a hand to his temple and tried to get a hold of himself.

"So we've been deserted?"

The AI glanced to its side, as if it were a bit uncomfortable. "Um... not exactly. Two days after your absence, multiple vessels arrived at Installation 05 and set up an outpost around the facility. If I am correct, they believe that you are still hiding somewhere deeper in the Library.

"Lucky break." Chris breathed.

"_No kidding. So how do we get out_?"

Chris folded his arms. "Same way we got in." He plucked Rouge's pistol out of his holster and checked the ammunition. He had about half a magazine left, and he had a couple more on his belt. "Let's roll! Pen, lead the way."

"Yes Reclaimer. Follow me! Would you like information regarding the facility's operation?"

"I don't believe that will be necessary." The Human said. "Shut up and only tell me what's going on when it's an immediate threat to myself and NICOLE."

"I will. Now follow me please, lest you get lost."

"Yeah. I don't want that to happen." He shuddered at the thought of running into another Stalker with only half a magazine of pistol ammo. Before they left, the room changed one more time. He was standing in space once more, but a blue planet lay in the distance. Soon, a brilliant flash filled the area, and a white sun rose over the horizon, illuminating thousands of miles of green land, vast azure oceans, and on one continent, a massive city bristling with geometric shapes. It was beautiful.

"You know, this place was pretty neat."

"_Yeah_." NICOLE agreed. "_I just wish it hadn't shown us what it did_."

With that, they left the Extraction chamber, and let the memory of the sun rise in solitude, as it had for thousands of millennia.

* * *

It was much scarier walking through the halls of the Library all on his own (excepting the company of NICOLE and 2401 of course). He needed the personal contact that one required to keep him motivated as he walked through the alien halls. The ceiling stretched for hundreds of feet above him, and halls ran on for what seemed like forever. All the while, there was the sound of humming, beeping, and clicking of ancient machinery that had been built long before the dawn of Human civilization. It was humbling and frightening at the same time. Vennettilli felt little a shiver run down his spine as he took in his surroundings. A lesser man may have broken down and been reduced to sucking his thumb in the foetal position, but he was tough. That being said, it was still scary, and he jumped at every noise that sounded close to him.

"_Would you like me to 'walk' alongside you_?" NICOLE asked.

"Sorry?"

"_Your pulse has skyrocketed! You're a nervous wreck! How about we take five_."

"Best idea I've heard so far."

They found an inclining wall with swirling displays showing an alien continent of the ringworld and sat down. Chris activated NICOLE's holographic emitter and the Mobian lynx materialized next to him.

"You're tense."

"I'm scared." He admitted. "I'm all alone."

"You have me!" The AI said in a hope to comfort him. Unknown to the former Marine, NICOLE was nervous as well – or a close approximation to what a person would feel as 'nervous'. She knew that the Human was her only way out, and he slowly losing his mind in this alien hedge-maze wouldn't be helping her in the slightest. She looked at the poor man as he jumped when two Sentinels flew over him. "Come on. We'll get out of here!"

"I don't even know where the fuck I _am_!"

"Well, I'm sure the Monitor does!" NICOLE suggested.

"Certainly I do, AI!" 2401 proclaimed. "You are currently at the junction linking the tertiary firing capacitor to the superluminal transvoidance array!"

Chris nodded his head. "Tertiary firing capacitor and transvoidance array. We're lost."

"Oh not at all, Reclaimer! I would have that that you might have-"

Then Chris was up. He stared Penitent Tangent down and looked him straight in the crimson eye. "Listen to me and listen to me good: I have NO idea where I am. I have NEVER been in this place before, and I have absolutely NO memories of ANY Reclaimer ANY time before this! You got that?" He breathed deep and waited for a response.

"Certainly!" The Forerunner AI cheerfully replied.

Chris growled in anger. He just lay back to look at the ceiling of the Library. All he could think about right now was the Cipher, the Forerunner _geas_ that was lodged in his head now. _Ten days ago_ he couldn't even imagine what the information was. Now he had it streaming everywhere in his memory that he could memorize it all many times over. He knew that the code was used for something. Perhaps it was the kill-code for the Galaxy Bomb. It would certainly make sense. He was getting headaches just thinking about it. He had the fate of the galaxy locked up in his mind. If he died, then Humanity would have a major setback until they happened to find someone else with the Cipher locked in their head.

NICOLE paced in her holographic form. She was going over data. For the majority of her time in the Library she had been stored in the computer, analyzing information related to the Forerunners. This facility was much newer than Outpost 49 in that other universe. Information was much easier to obtain in the Library simply because on Outpost 49, the coding was simply so _old_ that she couldn't even compare it to modern strings! Even now she was looking over schematics of the Library buried deep within subsystems and protocols. She brushed past information of the Flood and shuddered in disgust and horror. Soon, she found the section they were in, and thanks to 2401's directory, she was able to pinpoint their location.

"Chris, call me Tom Tom the Lynx! I have a route back to the gondola! Bad news is that I am receiving IFF transmissions from _two hundred and thirty seven _active UNSC personnel in the _vicinity_!"

"Son of a bitch." Chris said. He shivered as he tried to think of a plan. He racked his brains and tried to produce a viable route of passing the bad guys. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.

NICOLE folded her arms. "You have no plan."

"Not in the slightest." The ex-Marine announced.

"Well I do." NICOLE's holographic image was replaced with a flat map of their level. "_This over here is a maintenance access tunnel. Normally it's meant for small robots called Constructors as they go through the facility, but if I'm reading this correctly, I am pretty sure that the tunnels are large enough for you to go through_."

"Willing to make a bet on that?"

"_I'll create a Minesweeper program just for you that we can play on the return trip_."

"You got a deal. Anything else?"

"_Yes. One small setback_."

"Small? How small?"

NICOLE cleared her 'throat' and returned to her holographic form. "Well, it's just that the access port is located in that village that you saved. And I am reading a full battalion of Marines in that area."

"Great." Chris groaned. He put a hand to his face and considered it. "There's no other way?"

"The way we came before would be suicide. There are jeeps that come and go regularly. Only the gondola ports have minimal security. Even then, I can't guarantee that they wouldn't hear us leaving and sent air units after us. It's also possible that we could be arriving into a heavily fortified docking station."

"Stop giving me possibilities!" Chris hissed. "2401, do you have anything to add?"

"I believe that I may have some strategies referring to how I can use the Sentinels to... oh my goodness; apologies! I unfortunately must be called away! A maloperation on Sublevel 12 must be attended to. I will return momentarily!"

"Where are you going you flying Christmas bulb?"

"Oh my. Multiple energy fluctuations are occurring all over the facility! I must go to the main junction where I can reset all of the main systems! I sincerely apologize, Reclaimer! I will return when my task is completed!" And with that, the Monitor flew away into one of the Library's access tubes.

"Fuck!" Chris cursed in anger.

"_Calm down, Human. You're going to have an aneurysm_."

Chris did control himself. He slowed his breathing and then his heart rate was in the comfort zone. "So we're on our own again." He concluded.

"_It sure looks that way_." NICOLE said nervously. "_I have some of the facility's maps on file, but I'll need to be in holographic mode to show you. Please open my casing._"

He did so and the lynx appeared. "You need to shave." She said with a smirk.

"NICOLE..."

"OK! Calm down! Here's the file right here."

An entire web of corridors, elevators and even power conduits expanded in mid-air.

"Look at this place." Chris said breathlessly. "Look at all these tunnels."

NICOLE noted, "Chris, Outpost 49 was an entire _planet_ made up of conduits and passageways. Surely you're not saying _this _is more impressive."

"I never saw the floor plans to that place though." He honestly said. "Filter out the power conduits."

In a blink of an eye, they disappeared, leaving the display less cluttered. "Done." NICOLE announced.

"Now we need to find an elevator shaft. I know that we went down one when we came to this place."

NICOLE appeared for a quick second placing her hand to her forehead. "OK, I have one not too far from our position. I recommend that you make your best speed to this location. I'll put a NAV point on it."

Chris then heard a noise and jumped again. When armed with only a measly pistol, he felt like a scared little man in a big bad universe. The whirring and clicking was getting to him. He started off at a brisk run.

"_Your pulse is elevating again_." NICOLE warned. "_Tell me what's wrong_."

"I'm barely armed. I have half a magazine left. If I run into enemy forces, I'm toast."

"_Half a magazine can get you somewhere_."

"When I was back in Basic, my drill instructor gave us the Marine Rules to Live By. He claimed that they were passed down from God himself, but I think that was utter bullshit."

"_So says the atheist_." NICOLE giggled.

"Anyway, the one sticking in my mind is Rule #6: '_A Marine is only as safe as the weapon he has with him. A weakly armed Marine is a dead Marine_.'

"_Are you paraphrasing?_"

"So what if I am? This thing is garbage unless I have a bigger gun!" He tapped Rouge's pistol.

Suddenly, NICOLE had an idea. It would be a way to calm her friend down. "_Hey, tell me a story_."

"What?" Chris said, caught by surprise. "What did you say?"

"_Tell me a story. It'll calm you down, and it will pass time when you're walking_."

They found the elevator. According to NICOLE's sensors, it would go up when they stood in the center. Chris stepped on the pedestal and the entire floor started to rise.

"_Draw your weapon just in case._" NICOLE advised. "_Intimidation can be a greater weapon than bullets. You might be able to get an isolated guard by surprise and use him to further your own progress_."

Chris nodded. "Intimidation. Roger." He drew the gun, flicked off the safety and pulled out the magazine; as if he hoped more cartridges would have magically slid into the clip. "Five rounds." He announced.

"_Only use them if you are cornered. No spraying and praying_."

"With five bullets? I won't be able to get off a rosary bead."

"Focus. Here's our stop now."

* * *

The elevator stopped silently. It was quite disconcerting that the ride ended so smoothly. Once again, the advanced nature and design of the Library got to him. He shook for a second and stepped off the lift. He emerged in an identical hall to the one where he was before. He sighed in exhaustion and let his shoulders droop. "Are you kidding me?" He demanded, wiping his brow. "Are you sure we went up a level?"

"_My altimeter is telling us that._" NICOLE noted. "_Who would have gone through all this_?"

"Oh yes! Your story! Well, it turns out that the Master Chief went through a facility identical to this."

"_John_?"

"Yes." Chris said. "John. When we were aboard the _Ebon Hawk _in that other universe a couple years back, he told us about his encounter on a Halo a long way from here."

"_Was this the Halo that he destroyed_?"

"Yes it was if I remember what he said. Anyway, the Chief was in here looking for something called the Index, an arming key that would arm a Halo to fire, cleansing its section of the galaxy."

NICOLE then sniggered to herself and it caught Chris' attention.

"What's so funny?" The young man asked.

"_It's just funny now that I think about it! Library, Index… I wonder if the Chief saw _Gulliver's Travels_ in there by any chance._"

Chris didn't laugh. He couldn't afford anything that would take him off his game. Not now anyway. Then a thought came into his mind. "Back in that dream-world-place… that lady was called the Librarian. Do you think she may have built these places?"

"_Maybe._" NICOLE said. "_I don't have enough information from the databases to conclude whether or not a single individual supervised this whole place, or even if the Library was intended to be self-running_. _Don't try to fish at the nature of the Forerunners. It usually doesn't end well._"

"Yeah, I may need to nap a little for that one." A weak smile crossed his face, but it was there for a blink of an eye. Suddenly, NICOLE's holographic form popped up.

"Captain! You're coming up on the camp now! Hide!"

Chris looked around and searched for some form of a hidey-hole where he could concentrate. He found a slight recess in the wall where he sat down in. Before he knew it, a combat jeep zoomed past his position into the darkness of the Library.

"Whoa! That was close." He breathed. "They have patrols?"

"I'm detecting multiple H20 vapour emissions all over the area." NICOLE reported. "Most likely these are vehicles on patrol or courier runs. I'm not detecting any gasoline in the surrounding air either, so you won't be staring down the barrel of any tanks or APCs."

"Nice." Chris said breathing a sign of relief. "Can you tell me anything about the area?"

NICOLE's ear perked happily. "As a matter of fact I can! Stand by! I think that there's a relay dish that I can bounce my imaging signal off of… and presto!"

Her hologram disappeared and to replace it was a slowly rotating map of the immediate area. Holographic buildings popped up. Tiny red blips illustrated guards on patrol paths.

"Beautiful." The disgraced Marine said. "This will come in handy." Another Rule to Live By came into his mind: Rule 17: 'Your Rules of Engagement are your friends (cherish them!)'. His basic instinct here would tell him not to fire upon these guards at all. He didn't want to kill anybody today, lest it tarnish his already bloody, if not fabricated reputation in Human Space. He consulted the map closely. "NICOLE, can you superimpose the image of the camp over the original map of the area?"

She wordlessly did as he asked. Soon the map showed the compound. According to the building layout, the maintenance conduit was situated right underneath what he would approximate to as a courtyard. The closest building to his hiding place was a barracks that was raised with pneumatic jacks. This gave him a three foot gap underneath the building where he could hide and plan his next move. He waited for his chance.

"Caution! A patrol is coming from up the hallway. On my go." The AI commanded.

"Yes, _ma'am_." Chris nodded.

"Make ready to sprint your furless heart out in three, two, one…"

A pair of headlights screamed past him.

"_GO GO GO!_" NICOLE hissed. "_Move it! Double time, Marine!_"

Chris was up as soon as the first 'go' left her speakers. He sprinted to the barracks and dropped on his side. It was as if someone had waxed the alien floor just for him. He slid underneath whisper smooth and stopped dead center in the middle of the dark.

The Captain got on his stomach and surveyed the general area. Six pneumatic jacks kept the building up. In the very center near where he was, there was a box of cables that went from the floor of the barracks and snaking all the way to a generator that was somehow configured to tap into Forerunner power grids. It was crude, but it would get the job done.

Judging from the compliment that she observed, NICOLE deduced that the main force here was unaltered Humans instead of the Hunter-Killer teams. She relaxed somewhat. She knew that the Captain would have never stood a chance alone against them. Now normal Marines were no problem. At the same time, NICOLE knew that Vennettilli had the same code of honour branded into his mind: 'Your Marines are Your Brothers'. If he was forced to attack UNSC personnel, it wouldn't be easy for him.

"NICOLE, can you scan the area right above me?" Chris whispered.

"_Working on it now_…" She said back. "_OK, I have four heat signatures right above you. Respiration and heart rate is pretty slow. Chris, I think they're sleeping. Wait one… I have movement from the other end of the room." _

Chris heard slight tones as the man walked towards an exit near his position. He saw a pair of boots walk to his left and then he stopped. Chris deduced that this man was coming out for a cigarette. Gazing at the map, he saw to his dismay that this man was right in the path that would take him to the access hatch.

He weighed his options carefully. His brain churned out ideas in the way that a Marine would think. Rule 10: 'When In Doubt, Fall Back'. Then he viewed the map. The only other way would be along the patrol route, and it would be very likely that he would encounter resistance there. He groaned as he realized that the only way was through this man. He crawled carefully out from underneath the barracks and got to his feet, careful not to make any noise. The man, an Army soldier actually, took out a pack of cigarettes and started talking to himself.

"Dark Cloud. Cheap economy crap." He took out a single cigarette and lit it. Before he could take a puff, Vennettilli quickly looped his arm over the surprised man's neck and placed his other hand over the man's mouth, choking him. In about ten seconds after a bit of squirming, the soldier was unconscious. Just to add a little flourish, he crushed the cigarette with his boot.

"I don't like smoking." He said innocently.

"_Uh huh._" NICOLE said with what sounded like a smirk.

He took the unconscious man's body and rolled him under the barracks. That way they would waste some time looking for him if he was missed. Now past the barracks, he found himself between a storage facility and what appeared to be a line of trucks. These vehicles had a light turret on their roofs to discourage the curious. Why would they need armed trucks in this case then? He was the only one down here.

Then the sick thought came into his mind that some of the villagers had escaped the attack on the village and may have fled into the Library.

_Oh what the fuck man! Get ahold of yourself! _

He heard someone coming and scampered behind a wall of the warehouse. He saw that the door was unlocked and after a quick look, saw that nobody was inside. He got in and almost closed the door. He saw a beefy Hunter walk through the alley without his armor. His face was that of a man's but every slight movement saw muscle move all over the place. Even when he blinked, sinew in his neck moved. This was a creation of steroids, rumbledrugs and hard training, but he didn't want to be cornered by one of them.

The Warehouse was completely dark.

"NICOLE, lights." He ordered. A single strong beam of light erupted from a port on NICOLE's console. It illuminated barrels and boxes all over the place. Then he saw a fuse box and a nasty idea popped into his head. "NICOLE, can you scan the electrical currents and determine where these wires head?"

"_Working on it. They go all over the place, Captain. You can expect to find a cord going to ever building. There are redundancies along the lines, but if this generator fails, things go dark._"

He then looked around a bit more, and to his fortune, he saw a crane. Even better, there seemed to be a bunch of crates dangling from it. "I think I may have something."

He outlined his plan. The first step of what he needed to do was to shut down a portion of the camp through the fuse box. When someone came by to inspect the problem, he would release the boxes from the crane and create a huge mess. The fellow who came by to inspect the problem would see this and call for a clean-up crew. That would be the perfect time to sneak away from the area. He ran the idea by NICOLE.

"_Well, I would have just suggested outright stealth to get by, but you've had a tough day. Sure, what the hell. Blow things up to your Human heart's content!_"

"You didn't answer my question."

"_Will it get the job done? Definitely. Will it cause some panic? Oh hell yes it will. Will it give you a window? Indeed._"

"How long?"

_"I estimate a window of five minutes twelve seconds while they sort through the mess. After that, you may have to fight off a few Stalkers_."

_"_This is _insane!_"

NICOLE said, "_Well, it is _your _plan!" _

He walked to the power junction and looked over the security controls. It was clear that this was a budget box: no external force fields to repel unauthorized materials, no triple encoded locks, no backup tumblers… this junction box would be laughed out of even the simplest power rooms. Either the government was short on cash again, or they weren't expecting Chris to turn up at their doorstep.

He used the butt of his gun to bash open the power junction and looked inside. There was a jumble of wires and power cells that gave power to the other buildings. Odd that they wouldn't have their own self-contained power boxes, but hey, he wouldn't look a gift junction box in the mouth.

Grabbing a few of them in his hand, Chris yanked with all his might. The wires gave way and a section of the facility went dark.

"Well that was easy!" Vennettilli said. "Now all we need to do is -"

He heard a pistol hammer cock. His smug grin deflated instantly.

"You! Put your hands up and turn around!"

His heart sank as he did so. He was done, _finito, kaput_, busted… unless he ran for it now. It would take a bit of doing, but there was no turning back now. He was already in too deep. So, he formulated a Plan B. In retrospect, this would have been smart in the beginning. "NICOLE." He said in a whisper, "I am going to walk towards this man. When I get within striking distance, release the crane's payload."

"_OK, buy I've run the numbers._" She whispered. "_You won't have much time at all!_"

"I have no choice!" Chris said to the AI.

"Turn around!" The man demanded again. The disgraced Captain did as he was told. The man smiled as he held a pistol in his hand. "So, you're the guy we've been after!" He smiled and nodded to himself. "You know who my sister was?"

"No." Chris said honestly.

"Her name was Crewman Alyssa Burns! She was assigned as Third Watch Supervisor aboard the _Elijah Jones_! My _sister_!"

A knife had been pressed into his heart. He sighed sadly. "I'm sorry about your sister, but you have to understand that it wasn't my fault…"

"BULLSHIT!" The man said with a bit of energy. "I ought to shoot you right now, you MOTHERFUCKER!" He pointed the gun, but then lowered it with all the energy he had. "But orders are to take you alive!" He motioned with his free hand. "Come here."

Chris felt this man's pain, but he was being held at gunpoint and had declared himself as his enemy. By the rules of engagement, he was obliged to attack as he pleased. Of course, he was going to do so anyway. He took five steps towards the mourning man, when he heard a snap. The crane holding several tons of cargo boxes, barrels and even a small forklift crashed to the floor of the warehouse.

"What the hell!" The man said in a frenzied voice. Before he could turn around, Chris grabbed his throat and slammed him into the ground. The man raised the pistol and was nearly about to shoot, but Chris kicked the gun out of his hand. It skittered into the darkness where finding it would be very difficult. Denied his revenge, the fallen man screamed out, but with a hand at his gullet, it sounded more like a pitched gurgle. To seal the deal, he sent a palm strike into his forehead, which knocked him unconscious.

The bang startled a bunch of people, which gave him a slight window.

"_MOVE! Head straight for about fifty meters; take your first left! Go! They're coming!_" NICOLE cried out. She dropped a NAV point onto the location and the Marine sprinted there. Exiting the warehouse, he barely avoided detection by running soldiers. The route he was advised to take was an alley between two barracks. When he took the left, he was in a small courtyard formed by a few prefab buildings. "_OK. Head to your left for about fifteen meters and then freeze. I need to do some calculations."_

Christopher followed her instructions to the letter and just stood still. His heart beat loud in his ears. His breathing spiked. Suddenly, he felt a huge surge of pain in his head. "AUGH! JESUS CHRIST!"

_"_SHHHH!" The AI said. "_What's wrong?_"

_"_The alien shit in my head!" Chris cried out! "It's killing me!" His eyes burned. He grabbed at them in an attempt to curb the pain; then he saw shapes form. He saw the admiral.

_"Captain! What in the world is wrong with you?_"

_"_Sir?" He snapped to attention; rigid as a board.

_"How _dare_ you report to me in that disgraceful state! I ought to have you thrown in the brig for lack of discipline_!"

He felt at his hair and chin, and even his nails. Horrified, he stood even straighter. "Sir, my utmost apologies! It will not happen again!"

_"Ensure that it does not. I run a tight ship, Captain, and I expect you and all the other officers to conform with my guidelines_!"

"Aye aye, sir!" He snapped a solid salute.

"_…Human…! What's wrong with you?_"

"NICOLE, it's the Admiral! He must be doing surprise inspection!"

"_Christopher. There's nobody here._"

Chris shook his head as if she were just spouting nonsense. "What do you mean, he's right-"

He was standing alone in an empty alley. His jaw dropped. "But… he was just here! I saw him standing right in front of me! He even had the swagger stick!"

"_When has Admiral Andsworth EVER had a swagger stick_?"

"When he… oh… my head."

NICOLE had a serious sense of fear in her processor right now. She feared very much for the young man's safety, and right now, it seemed to be whittling away along with - she was horrified to think it - his sanity. "_We're almost there! Just hang on!_ _Look… just go about thirty more meters and then hang a right! You should be right next to the access port! It's only 30 meters!_"

"Thirty meters." Chris repeated confidently. "No problem." He started to walk towards the NAV point, and then became dizzy. When he stopped to steady himself, he was standing in the hallway of the Sith ship, the _Leviathan_. He looked around and was confused. "How did I get here?"

"_The question is not how, you weak-minded fool_." A synthetic voice replied. "_But _why." From a dark hallway, a tall, bleached white man with tattoos and a flowing red cape appeared. "_You have returned to receive the rest of your PUNISHMENT!_"

"Malak!" Chris cried out. He had seen this frightening man a year ago. A beam of crimson energy flared to life in his hand. Darth Malak took another few steps towards the cowering man.

"_My name still strikes fear in your heart. I can still read your thoughts as I have before._"

He took a slash with his lightsaber. Chris ducked. The sizzling bar of plasma cut into the deck plates. Burning metal filled the young man's nostrils. He looked into Malak's eyes and saw the hate in them.

"_You are scared. Frightened. I can turn that fear into power. Open your heart; let me inside. Allow me to make you strong!_"

A jolt of lightning flew from his fingers and laced over Vennettilli's body. He wriggled around in pain and screamed. His body jolted as he absorbed electric shocks all over. His vision began to darken. He heard Malak's synthesized voice echo in his mind.

"_You are pathetic! A cowardly fool that flees from his enemies! What woman could ever love you_?"

Suddenly, he felt his strength return. "I am not a coward."

_"Let yourself go! The Dark Side is all too powerful to resist!_"

Another electric shock gripped his brain. He arced his back and tried to hold the pain in. He growled and bit his lip. The pain was going away though. He looked at the Sith Lord, determined and furious.

"_I AM NOT A COWARD_!" He gripped Rouge's pistol and fired three rounds into Malak's form. At once, the Dark Lord dissipated, and soon the visage of the _Leviathan_'s corridor did as well. He was lying on the floor of the Library. He felt the cold of the alien metal on his neck and arms. In his hand, there was a smoking pistol. Looking ahead, he saw something that made him gasp.

A Marine was slumped against the wall. He was clearly unconscious and was bleeding profusely out of three holes in his uniform. Blood gushed out of his chest onto the ground. The man's breathing was short and erratic. Death would occur in minutes without proper medical attention. He lifted the Marine's visor and saw the face of someone barely twenty years old.

"Oh my God."

"_I… I don't know what to say._" NICOLE said shocked. "_You've freaked me out! There is something seriously wrong in the head with you! You're talking to thin air, and then you just shot this _kid_!" _

"It… it wasn't a kid." Chris gulped, trying to justify his actions. "It was Malak! He was standing over me, shooting me with lightning!"

NICOLE decided to do a quick scan of the Marine and was shocked to see his neural action had gone into overdrive. His neurons were firing at irregular intervals, and all of them were laced with huge chemical doses. "_You're brain is in a state I haven't seen before! It's got to be because of the information_!"

Chris left the critically wounded Marine and ran towards the waypoint. He could slowly hear footsteps catching up to him, and among them, the screeches of the Stalkers out for his blood.

"Explain, and fast!" He said.

"_OK, think of it this way: Your brain is a computer, right? Think of the Cipher as an extremely large program that takes up a huge portion of your memory. Your brain has noticed this and is trying to balance everything out by locating it in a less serious location. Turns out this is the part of the brain that controls vision and cognitive functions! The rest of your brain is in disarray, over performing to balance it out!_"

"So I'm going insane."

"_From a medical perspective, I can't be sure. From a psychological perspective… perhaps._"

_Well that's just fantastic. What am I going to tell Sally? Baby, I've missed you; oh, by the way, I am slowly losing my mind because of alien tech in my brain! How have you been?_

He noticed that the access port was right there. He tried to find a way to open it, but it was locked tight. "NICOLE! I need some help! NOW!"

The AI said, "_OK, Tap the square twice. A holo-panel should appear._"

He did so, and a pad of light expanded. Swirling symbols and three-dimensional characters Whenever he moved his head, he saw more to the Forerunners' vast and enigmatic language. "OK. What now?"

"_Open me._" He did so, and NICOLE projected herself near him. "OK, I have full access over force fields here. I can help you on this one. Just give me a second to access."

The screeches were growing louder. Flashlights were cutting through the dark. It wouldn't be long before they found him. "Anything…?"

She mumbled to herself. "Unlocking mechanism… unlocking mechanism… I think I have it now."

He checked his magazine. He only had two shots left. He inserted them and racked the slide. Now was the last line of defence that he had.

Suddenly, NICOLE looked into the sky and saw a pair of Sentinels. She closed her eyes for a second and then the robots flew in a new direction. Their ruby red beams sprayed behind the buildings. Cries of men were heard.

"You needed more time!" She declared before he could speak. "I gave it to you! Suck it up, soldier! I HAVE IT!" She tapped three buttons: two circles, and what looked like a horseshoe with an X in it. The panel disappeared and then it slid apart. Beneath was a beam of teal energy. Tiny robots flew along this path as they went to their duty paths.

"Is this safe?"

NICOLE nodded. "There is radiation, but it's negligible. Your skin might glow in the dark for a few days, but you'll be alright."

Chris looked stonefaced at his AI companion.

"That was a joke." She said reassuringly. Her hologram faded. He took the computer and clipped it on his belt. Chris looked into the stream, held his breath, and then jumped in.

His feet hit the ground. He felt some of the impact, but was whisked away by an energy current that carried him along with the tiny robots. They looked like plasma pistols and had cutters on their heads. One of them sprayed his hand with the beam.

"OW!" He gasped. His hand started bleeding immediately and he batted the robot away. He took multiple turns down the surprisingly narrow corridor. Vennettilli saw black sky up ahead. For a second he thought it was vacuum, but a minute later he saw mountains and clouds, and in the distance, the sunrise was almost there, lighting part of the ring he was on. He was so glad to see the outside world again, when he suddenly realized that he was thousands of feet off the ground. "NICOLE?"

"_…I may have miscalculated_._ Sorry!_"

* * *

Christopher was ejected from the tunnel at over a hundred miles an hour. He flew away from the Library's wall and felt cold air pound his skin. Snow was falling and it felt like needles against his face as he flew like a rock across the air. NICOLE may have tried to say something, but her voice was lost in the wind. He must have been thousands of feet in the air. The upper part of the Great Wall that kept the atmosphere in was clearer to see.

He didn't scream as he fell, but he did feel a sense of failure as he plummeted to his doom. He Admired the view as he fell and happened to see a beautiful lake. If he looked really hard, he would have been able to see a set of temples or shrines scattered around the lake. This place really was beautiful. He wouldn't have picked a more beautiful place to be his grave.

He thought of Sally. He thought of her face, and her eyes. Those deep blue eyes, just like the lake that he saw. He felt sadness that he wouldn't see her again, but at the same time he couldn't stop laughing. He didn't know why he was laughing at first, but then he understood. He rolled a bit in the air so that he was facing the stars and saw Substance as a backdrop to the sky. The only way he was going to escape was through death, and it turns out he was going to die very soon. So, he just closed his eyes and waited to black out, because he didn't want his peaceful death to be ruined by blunt impact with a rock or something. He could have sworn NICOLE was talking again, but her voice was lost in the wind.

"NICOLE, shut up." Chris said calmly. Even though he couldn't hear his own words, he knew that he meant what he said. Then, his skin felt tingly. He wondered if most people falling to their deaths felt this, but then it got stronger, as if his skin were ionizing. First he heard the roaring wind in his ears and saw the stars above, but next there was blinding sunlight, and he splashed into water. The sudden change in light scorched his corneas, and he screamed.

"Reclaimer, I implore you to lower your vocal decible output."

"WHAT?" Chris roared. He sat up and saw that he was in waist deep, warm water. He looked around. He was on a beach. He was still on the Halo, but he was farther up spin where the sun had already risen. "WHERE AM I?"

"Reclaimer, calm yourself!" 2401 Penitent Tangent said. "Your AI contacted me in response to you falling to your death. She convinced me to intervene."

"_Yeah, don't mention it_." NICOLE said from an aside sort of way. "_You mind getting me out of the drink, Captain_?"

Chris stood up. He was on a white beach where crystal clear water stretched on for miles until he lost it in the distance. "Why here?" He asked.

"_I told him to bring you somewhere where you could calm down_."

2401 added, "My creators were quite fond of seaside vistas. I see that you enjoy it as well!"

Chris looked around. Although he was totally wet, he didn't mind. As long as he was smelling of saline and sand, and not anything else, he was fine. The trees swayed in the wind. They were green and alien to him. Some had twisted trunks. Others had circular leaves, and some of them looked like palm trees like back on Earth. He smiled. It was the first chance he had to smile in… well, ten days. But then he snapped to the AI.

"Wait, did you _TELEPORT_ me out of the Library?"

"It's an ability that I do possess, yes."

"So why didn't you just _DO THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?_" He roared, leering at the ancient AI and expecting an answer. 2401 looked to the side as if he was embarrassed to say it.

"Well… to be truthful, Reclaimer: you did not ask."

Chris' hands shook. He gritted his teeth and just let it out.

"****__!"

* * *

2401 had to stay at least a few dozen feet off the ground as the Captain just threw a tantrum on the ground. He fired his last two shots into the air out of pure anger and then started shouting out curses in English, Italian, and even Sangheili, as if anybody would actually hear him.

"YOU FUCKING PIXY BALL! WHEN I GET MY FUCKING HANDS ON YOU I'M GOING TO RIP OUT YOUR GOD-DAMNED EYE AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR OWN _ASS! _I'M GOING TO FUCK UP YOUR HARDWARE TO THE POINT YOU COULDN'T QUALIFY_ AS A MOTHERFUCKING CASH REGISTER! _GET DOWN HERE YOU ALIEN SHIT! GET THE _FUCK_ DOWN HERE!"

2401 didn't move. He just stayed up there and silently conversed with NICOLE.

_My word. Is he _always_ like this? _

_As of late? Not really_. NICOLE said. _He's actually a very… even-toned guy._

_You don't say!_ _That's clearly not the impression I am getting. Oh my… I have never heard that one before._

_Yeah, me neither. _NICOLE agreed.

Vennettilli kept on pulling the trigger even though the gun was empty and just kept cursing. "FUCK THIS RING! FUCK THE LIBRARY! FUCK THE LIBRARIAN! FUCK! MY! _**LIFE**__!_ TUDYK! MARSHALL!" He screamed to the heavens. "WHEN I FIND YOU, I WILL PUT MY SIZE 14 UP YOUR ASS SO FAR YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CHEW ON IT!"

NICOLE tried to calm Chris down, but the Human was fuming more than had ever done. He seemed to be letting it out in one gigantic cloud of hate and profanity.

According to NICOLE, it had been thirty minutes before he slumped into the shade of an alien palm tree. He just lay there breathing in and out. He was quiet, but NICOLE spoke up. "Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"No." Chris said honestly. "I'm a wreck, but… I just don't have anything to scream about!"

NICOLE sighed. "_Well, you're getting there_. _Do you need a drink?"_

"From where? There's no faucets or watercoolers around!"

"Actually, there is a waterfall three hundred meters behind you." 2401 said. "I believe that the water has been filtered if you require a drink, but I would have assumed that your armour would have-"

"Do I _look_ like I'm wearing some fancy Forerunner body armour?" Chris said impatiently. "Where's the waterfall?"

"Follow me, Reclaimer!" 2401 said eagerly. "I will lead the way!"

They walked away from the beach into the trees. The air was cooler here and he smelt sweet sap that came from the trunks. He took a whiff and calmed down. He felt dizzy for a second but then controlled himself.

"So, do we have another part of the plan?"

"_I was hoping you would ask that!_" NICOLE answered. "_Now that we're out of the Library, we need another ride home. I bet that the _Emerald Fox_ has already been towed off by the authorities, so we're on our own_."

Chris snarled. "So it looks like we need an alternative form of transportation."

"_Hit the nail on the head, Captain. Now, while your ass was free-falling off a three thousand foot precipice, I noticed multiple drive signatures from some starships, and they're pretty large for an atmospheric variety. I think they may be a _Romulus_-class assault transport. Another reason why I brought you here is because there just so happens to be an airfield close by with such a craft. You find a uniform, sneak on, and then you're on your way home!_"

"How long have you had to make this plan?"

"_Seven microseconds. Why? Do you think I need to reconsider anything?_"

"Uh… no. I think you had fair consideration."

"_Thanks!" _

_"_NICOLE, I have a favour to ask."

"_What's that_?"

"You… you can change your form, right?"

"_Yes. What's wrong?" _

Chris blushed a little. "Can you turn into Sally?"

NICOLE was silent for a second. "_Put me down on the ground._"

He did place the computer in the sand and activated the holographic display. NICOLE appeared as a Lynx for a second, but soon her form altered. In her place was Sally Acorn, standing there with her holographic hair waving in the wind. She wasn't wearing any clothes, but to be fair, he never asked for any. Something he surely picked up on by now.

"NICOLE?" He asked.

She answered. It was Sally's voice though. "I'm here. How do I look?"

Christopher looked at the holographic representation of Sally with wide eyes. A few tears flowed and he couldn't help himself. He dropped to his knees and put his chest to her abdomen, and was thankful that 2401 gave force fields. He kissed her belly and put his cheek against it. "Baby! I'm scared! I'm just so scared!"

"I'm here Christopher." NICOLE said. She stroked his hair in a loving way. It seemed to cheer the distraught young man up. "I'm always here with you."

"But I actually want to see you! I want to feel you! To love you! I want you to tell me that it's OK!"

NICOLE helped the young man up. She looked into Christopher's face. NICOLE felt deep pity and sadness for this tortured soul. She gave him a kiss the way Sally would. The Human kissed her back and wrapped his hands around NICOLE. She couldn't feel him, but she wanted to. She wanted to feel what sally felt all of a sudden. She wanted the physical intimacy of a relationship. She hungered.

She lust. For the first time in her life, she lusted for him.

She then broke away and placed his head to her bosom. She knew it would calm him; a maternal move. Men felt calm in the breasts of a woman. She held him again, but then said, "This… this is wrong."

Chris seemed shocked. "Wu… why?"

"I can't be Sally for you. I can't be the woman you love. You need to be with her in the end. Not me." She sounded hurt, but Chris didn't pick up.

"But… I just need her."

"I know." NICOLE said. She rubbed his shoulder. "We just need to work together like we always have and figure this whole thing out."

"OK." Christopher said, Breathing deep to calm himself. "OK."

With that, Sally's figure disappeared. Instead, NICOLE looked at him in a sorry way.

"NICOLE. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Human." The AI said.

_No, Chris. Thank _you_._

* * *

Seven minutes later, they reached the waterfall. It was pretty artistic for a formation of its kind. Perhaps the builders really liked this location and made this waterfall special. There were three cascades in a horseshoe formation In the middle of it, a mushroom rock column stood, and at the base, a raised section of the pool created another small waterfall. He considered taking a swim, but every second he wasted not getting on a ship back to Earth. He took a handful of the water and sipped it. It was so cold that made his teeth tingle. It was also very sweet and clear. It was probably the best water he'd had in a little while.

After close to a liter of it, he was satisfied.

"OK. I'm ready." He said.

"_Very good, Captain._" NICOLE nodded.

"How far to the airbase?"

"_According to bounced satellite signals, I can assume that the airfield is approximately forty kilometers away."_

_"_I can't walk that far in one day." He sighed.

"_Well I'm sure some people might be able to give you a lift _if you asked for it!"

The Captain was confused for a second. "What? OH! Oh! Right." he cleared his throat and stood up. "2401, can you give us a lift to that location?"

The ancient AI seemed happy to. "Certainly, Reclaimer. A word of caution though! I have detected multiple structures that are not part of this facility's building schematics! I would advise sending the Sentinels to intercept."

"Relax Pen. There's nothing to worry about." The Human said. "That airport belongs to civilians. They won't do you any harm. The sons of bitches that have those huge ships, I don't know. But, I need to get aboard one of those things."

The AI nodded in mid-air. "I understand." He said. "Is this the last that I shall see of you, Reclaimer?"

Chris had grown to appreciate the Monitor's assistance. He never tried to lead him astray and always performed his duties with admiration and dignity. If he was a Marine, Chris would push to have him promoted. "Unfortunately it seems that way. You never know. We could come back once this whole thing blows over."

"_Really_?" NICOLE asked.

"Yes NICOLE, really."

The Forerunner AI made a flourish. "I shall be awaiting your return, Reclaimer! I will give you a magnificent welcome! I was honoured to have one as glorious as the inheritor of my creator's technology like yourself in these halls. I wish you luck in locating your companions! Farewell Reclaimer, and good luck!"

Chris felt his skin ionize once more. Everything tingled around his body as amber rings circled him. Even NICOLE felt it.

"_Hey, I'm feeling weird…!_ WHOA!"

* * *

There was a flash of light. Chris' stomach lurched, and in nearly an instant, he was just outside of a high fence. For a second, he felt dizzy but then steadied himself. He was located outside of the airport. He could see a few military vessels inside. He was going to get aboard one of them.

Carefully making sure he wasn't seen, he climbed over the fence and ignored the pain as he picked his fingers with barbed wire. About ten second later, he landed on the other side in a shrub. He knew that landing in shrubs wasn't comfy, but he was completely hidden, albeit with a sore back. Content that he was alone, he walked about and took in his surroundings. "NICOLE?"

"_I'm hacking into the tower… stand by._" She was silent for three seconds. "_I'm in. I have a map of the area. At the far end of the runway is a large ship landing pad. There's a _Romulus _docked there. How you get there is your problem though." _

Chris nodded. He needed to find a way over there. He could probably steal a uniform, but he was in broad daylight. He stuffed his gun in his pants waist and covered it with his shirt. Maybe he could pass himself off as a mechanic. He breathed deeply and hoped there weren't any wanted posters put up anywhere. Confident, he walked onto the tarmac.

A few light planes were nearby for close flights. This wasn't a spaceport where interplanetary flights could be arranged. However, a military ship could be found in most placed like these. The runway was a few hundred meters long where the ultra lights could take off. Some planes here were VTOLS, and he could have sworn that there were some helicopters somewhere.

He was just about to go when he heard, "Hey! Who are you?" He gritted his teeth, but he noticed it was a younger voice. He relaxed a little. He turned and saw a female Mobian, a bobcat with wide green eyes. "You look familiar! Are you a movie star or something?"

"Why would you say that?" Chris asked, now formulating a plan.

"I saw your, like, picture in the paper or something like that! I know who you are! You're that Vennett guy!" She smiled sweetly. "You helped fight Robotnik and saved our people!"

"Yeah, I enjoyed it!" Chris said hastily. He needed to get rid of this girl. "Excuse me, I have to leave!"

The young Mobian then saw what was on his belt. "Hey, that's the Princess' computer! Did you steal it or something?"

_"No!_" Chris said insistently. "Listen, what's your name?"

"My name's Carrie-Lynn! I'm a bobcat, you know!"

"Yes, I can see that." He could tell that this young lady wasn't quite the brightest star in the constellation. "I'm on a secret mission. Sally lent me her computer so that she might help me!"

"_Yes! I was told that this mission was of great importance!_" NICOLE said, going along with the plan.

"O-M-G! That's NICOLE! That is so _kawaii_!" she said. "I'm with some friends here to see this Halo thing! We're here for a few days."

"Do you have a vehicle?"

"We have a car."

"Can you take me somewhere?" He asked, sensing an easy victory.

"Sure! Anything! Can I hold NICOLE?"

"Later. Can you take me to that ship over there? It's a long way."

"No probs! He guys! Look who I have!"

She grabbed his arm and led him to a few more Mobians sitting on a jeep. They looked at Carrie-Lynn as she dragged Chris towards them.

"Who's he?" a cat wearing large sunglasses said. "A Human?"

"He's like, the guy who fought Robotnik!" Then, her friends were all smiles.

"He's kind of cute." the cat said.

"He's tall too. I like that in a man." A poodle with pink hair said.

"He smells funny." The last, a mouse said.

"He's on a mission! We need to help him! Look, he has NICOLE with him!"

A chorus of O-M-Gs came from all around. They all tried to get in close to see.

"Girls, please! I'm losing time. And, HEY! Don't touch my leg!"

"Knight Armaments Kevlar Laced Combat Trousers. '38 model. You really are a Marine, aren't you?" the mouse said.

The poodle rolled her eyes. "Kelly, you're such a nerd."

"_Girls, Chris and I need to be on that ship! Do you know if it's going to Earth?_" NICOLE said.

"Yeah! Everything's going to Earth today." Carrie-Lynn said.

"_Great! Now we need to get there!_"

"OK! We'll take our jeep!" She said walking towards it. He got in the back middle seat. The cat and the mouse got in on either side of him. "Ooh, you like being in a sandwich?"

"Heh, I kind of can't be seen right now. I've… I've seen plenty of Mobians wanting to talk to me." He invented.

Carrie-Lynn gave a playful salute. "Yes sir!" she said and started the car.

Chris tried to say something. "Don't try to kill each other now!"

It took Kelly the Mouse and her friend a second to see the joke. "Oh I get it!" The cat said. "Because I'm a cat and you're a mouse, Kelly!"

"Yes. I get the punch line, Debbie."

Chris couldn't believe his luck as he was carried all the way to the end of the runway. Deus Ex Machina had struck again!"

"Say." The mouse said. "Just what IS this mission, you're on anyway?"

"Can't tell you that." Chris said. "If I did, I'd have to kill you."

"Secret agent stuff!" Carrie-Lynn said excitedly. "Totally cool!"

They asked questions about everything. Suddenly, one of them noticed the ring on his hand.

"Are you married?" Debbie asked.

"Hmm? I'm engaged." Chris said. "To a lovely lady!"

"I hope she's very happy!" Kelly said. "Marriages are so romantic."

Chris looked at the ring on his finger. "Yeah, aren't they? She know that I love her very much." He smiled at the ring, because he knew that an identical one was on Sally's finger. "So, what are you girls doing here anyway? You like planes?"

"No, our hotel's on the premises." Kelly the Mouse said. "We were just standing around."

As he noticed multiple armed platoons moving around near the ships, he said to himself, _Well, that's fortunate!_

* * *

He was in the car for only a few more minutes. He asked the girls to put him on the side of a fuel pump where he would be hidden. They didn't ask why thankfully and were about ready to leave.

"Hey, I just have one more favour to ask."

Carrie-Lynn looked out the window. "Yeah?"

"Listen, when people start talking about me, don't believe a word of it. It didn't happen that way."

The Mobian was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Just give it a few more days, and you'll see." With that, they left, and Vennettilli breathed a sign of relief at his unexpected ride. "Well that was one of the most random things to happen to me this trip. I'm thankful it happened though!"

"_Did it feel good talking to someone_?"

"Yeah, it did. I'm so glad to just see people."

"_Savour it. You may not get another chance like that, Marine_."

He was about to run to another building when a Navy officer turned the corner.

"Oh shit!" Chris gasped.

"Hey! You're that guy!" He cried out! "You're the guy who blew up that hospital ship!"

"Hospital ship? WHAT THE HELL?" he took off running. He then felt a bullet passing alongside him. He took a random turn to confuse his pursuer. His entire stealth plan had gone to hell _again_, meaning that he had to find a hiding spot, but by now everyone knew where he was.

"_ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! A FUGITIVE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN THE VACINITY! DO NOT USE LETHAL WEAPONS ON THE FUGITIVE! TARGET IS A 24 YEAR OLD CAUCASIAN MALE WITH BROWN HAIR AND GREEN EYES AT 5'5"!"_

_"_Hey! I'm five-seven!" Chris said under his breath.

"_Shut up! I've found a hiding spot! A water tank inside this building right here! I've already disabled the lock! Get inside! NOW!" _

He entered the cargo port and found three cylindrical water tanks. One of them snapped open in it was a nearly full level of water. Just enough to breathe in.

"You have GOT to be kidding me."

"_I'm sure that ONI will find you better accommodations_."

"Forget that! I'm in. Wait, what about you?"

"_I'm from the FUTURE, _Chris. _It's not like water can stop me or anything like that_."

Without another moment of hesitation, he jumped in and sealed the tank. It was pitch dark.

"_How are you holding up_?"

"I'm all wet, but I'm fine."

"_Good. The way I see it, the scanners here only pick up the outside of the container for the appropriate bar codes. Besides, nobody would think you'd survive hiding in here_."

"Don't say that, NICOLE." Chris urged. "Not while I'm up to my nostrils in water.

"_You can do it._ _We're right there_!" The crate started to rumble. "_And it looks like your flight's boarding now!_"

In the dark, there was no way to tell what was going on, but nothing interrupted his ride as he went up a slope and was set down, presumably into the ship's cargo bay. He waited again to see if he was going to have his box opened, but nothing came.

"Really? They're not going to check the crates at all? Are these guys amateurs?"

"_Let's wait a while. We don't want to jump the gun and expose ourselves. Just sit back and relax. You just booked the economy ticket back home. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep. _

Chris just stared into darkness while the deck lurched as they took off. He heard voices of people. He recognized them, but he didn't like what he heard. They were voices of people that had died. People who had been killed in front of him. He shuddered.

"AH! I can hear them! They're talking to me!"

_Captain Benedict, A strategic bombardment at Grid Alpha Tango 1-1 will eliminate the enemy emplacement! _

_We have an opportunity and all you can think about is getting your ass out of here! _

_Hey, careful! There's a minefield around here! Don't want to step on those suckers! _

_So are you going to use that peashooter, or are you going to - __**AAAAAAAAAAUUUGH!**_

He gasped and shook. _"AH! SALLY!_"

What else could NICOLE do? "_I'm here, my sweet. I'll protect you_. _Just relax. I'll protect you_."

Christopher Vennettilli was a child again. He was helpless at the power of his own thoughts. "Protect me… make me safe."

"_I know a song._" NICOLE said "_My mother used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. It will make you feel safe_."

"Make me safe."

NICOLE felt happy, because she knew that she would make him feel the best he had in days. She found the song the Sally loved as a child, and for the man the she loved, sung it.

* * *

"_Over the hills and far away, the sun did shine and the children play. Nestled in the trees while the branches swayed, was a nest of a beautiful blue jay. The blue jay stretched his tired wings, and wondered what the morning breeze would bring. He smiled and took to the skies so high, and saw the children and heard a cry. The children could not fly like he, they stayed on the ground and they did weep. He flew with grace upon the ground, while the children gathered all around. He sang a song straight from the heart, and told the children of his part. So listen children while you play, for the song of the loving blue jay."_


	19. Chapter 19: A Nice Little Talk

Chapter 19: A Nice Little Talk  
June 1st, 3239, 1452 hours  
Mobius  
Castle Acorn

Sally and some of the other members of OMEGA sat around a table in the dining hall. They had meals like this every week or so and the cooks prepared some of the best food they had ever eaten. Sally had invited Bunnie, Sonic, Amy, Ryan, Johnson, and Tails along. Everyone else was busy doing important work, and Antoine personally sent his regards as he was busy researching a new non-corporeal life form for the annual Codex.

Sally sighed sadly. It seemed that the former Freedom Fighters were drifting farther and farther apart, separated by careers and personal interests. She was lucky that the people sitting in front of her would never leave her side. She smiled and took another sip of her coffee.

"So, how are you feeling, Aunt Sally?" Tails asked as he took another bite of his sandwich.

"Not bad." The princess stated. "I'm definitely feeling better now than I was feeling yesterday." She chuckled. "I'll tell you one thing though: I'm never eating at that restaurant again!"

Everyone also gave a small laugh. Bunnie rubbed her hand. "I'm here for ya, shugah. I'll always be there."

Johnson scoffed. "God damn, you're making this sound like it's a support group!"

"If you go through what I had, Avery, you'd be feeling the same way, and I find that unlikely."

"Maybe so, but that's since absolutely nothing in the galaxy can destroy this Marine."

"Oorah, Sarge." Ryan added.

Just then, the door to the hall opened. Four men wearing pitch-black turtlenecks and Kevlar vests walked into the hall. The leader was a bald man with dark sunglasses and a communicator around his ear. "Your highness! I was wondering if we could take a few moments of your time."

"What's the meaning of this, Agent?" She recognized who the man worked for right away. The patch stitched onto his left breast said it all. The black and white pyramid with the All-Seeing Eye in the center: The Office of Naval Intelligence. Sally had been seeing a lot of these guys over the past few days all over the castle, and in military facilities. Some of them were just talking over their communicators in the middle of fields, or scribbling notes down on a clipboard. She even caught one of them in the castle's hangar just running a scanner over some of the castle's jets. The situation was getting more extreme, and she wondered if her parents had authorized this! If they had, on who's conscience? She knew that her parents wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the security of her country or even her planet, even though they officially had no control over the entire globe.

"We're conducting a few interviews of some of the personnel in the castle. We would like to know if you will be participating."

"On who's authority?" Sally said angrily standing up.

The agents answered quickly. "Your parents authorized it."

_Sure._ "Just a few questions?"

The agent held his palms out. "I promise. They'll be quick, and relatively painless."

Tails gave a bit of nervous laughter. The young man couldn't tell if the agent was joking or not.

Sally's ear twitched. She was suspicious of the agent, but then again, she was suspicious of anyone who had that freaky logo stitched onto their uniform - the exception being Rouge of course. "Alright, we'll go. How many people do you need to talk to?"

The agent tilted his head. "Just the lot of you, really. We can talk to anyone else we need to when we find them.

Sally sighed, looked towards her friends and tilted her head towards the agent. It was clear that the princess felt the situation was secure. With that, Johnson rallied the troops.

"Alright now, follow the lady now! We don't want to keep the Men in Black waiting, now do we?"

"Hell no, sir!" the guys playfully said. Everyone got up and followed Sally out the door and down the hall. Once more they walked through the ancient stone walls of the castle, built centuries ago by Mobians trapped in a Dark Age. Paintings of Acorns lined the walls, and not all of them were necessarily squirrels. For instance, the first queen, Rosanne, was a fox, and Doreen the Second was an otter. It always made Sally curious as to her ancestry. She had so much blood in her from different races, Human included. She was more or less a squirrel. She chuckled. Not like she wasn't an oddity growing up anyway: tomboy princess, a 'battle royal' for lack of a better term, lover of a Human, and right now, a secret accessory to a so-called 'terrorist'.

Just what sort of questions did these guys have?

* * *

The agents told them that they would have to go into the dungeon because they would have proper interview equipment down there. Sally knew that her friends knew that the dungeon was mainly used for criminal interrogations and not so much interviews, but it suited ONI's cryptic style. They would go with it. Down the large spiral staircase they went. As they did, the air got slightly colder with every step. One of the guards decided to make smalltalk.

"I never get tired of being in an actual castle."

"They don't have castles on Earth anymore?" Sally asked.

"I'm from Mars."

"Far out." Sonic added.

The other one looked back and counted. "Hang on, wasn't there someone else in this group? I remember reading in the report that an older man was with you. Old guy, bald, never shut up about his past."

"You are referring to Mr. Jolee Bindo, an unexpected passenger back from the re-emergence of the UNSC _Acorn_ last year. Mr. Bindo is currently on a spiritual retreat in Mysterious Cat Country." The lead ONI agent said this all without turning his head.

"He's trying to reconcile with the Force." Tails piped up. Of everyone, he knew what Jolee was going through.

"Right, the Force, whatever." The ONI agent said. "Why aren't you going with him, again?"

They came to the door that led to the dungeons. It was a high-tech triple-lock portal with an ID scanner.

"I lost my connection to the Force sometime not too long ago." Miles admitted. "I'm not sure what happened. I haven't been able to pull a tool towards me ever since."

"Interesting." The agent said in the most unenthused manner ever. He tapped the keypad and showed his badge. The door tinged green and slid away. "Alright, let's get in here."

The dungeon was still roughly the same size as it was originally, and some of the chains were still hanging from the walls. No skeletons or anything hung from them, but often on Halloween some joker decided to scare the pants off the guards by putting a fake one up.

The place they were heading to used to be a couple of holding cells that were joined together to make the interview room. Sally remembered this as the place where Chris, a Lieutenant back then, was beat to within an inch of his life by Shadow. She remembered how long it took to clean the blood off the windows.

The guard repeated the process on the door here, but also issued a verbal passcode to the lock: "Authentication Charlie-Charlie-4." The door hissed open. Sally was incredulous.

"What was that?"

"What?" The agent said, completely calm.

"You just gave the door a voice password!"

"What's so wrong about that?" The second agent asked.

"This door only used to have a password number lock! There wasn't anything about an ID scan and _definitely_ not a voice lock!" She waited for an answer.

"This was a recent upgrade in security. It was ordered by your parents."

"Bullshit. I spoke to them TODAY! They never mentioned anything to me about a security upgrade, and they ALWAYS tell me when some new measure is in place."

"Well maybe they forgot to tell you! We're on a schedule, highness." the leader said. He was still remarkably calm. Knowing that this would get her nowhere, she told the guys to follow her in.

"Hold it." the third guard said. "We're doing this one at a time."

That confused the group. Interviews one at a time? Sally's soldier sense was tingling now. She knew that something was going on here, and on top of all the situations that have happened up to this point, she was as nutty as a lunar landing conspiracy.

Sally was told that she would be talked to last. She was just standing around with everyone wondering what was going on. She decided to chat with Sonic.

"Hey, do you think that this is a little bit odd?" she asked.

Sonic gave a small smile. "You're asking me?"

The princess nodded.

"When it comes to Humans, I think something odd is always going on. This is a special case though."

"So do you think something's going on?"

"Most definitely I do." Sonic admitted. "These dudes… they aren't messing around. They want answers for something. If I could tell you what, I would. As a matter of fact, I don't think they have to do with the Captain."

"You _don't_?" Sally said, a bit surprised.

"No. This is bigger than him. Right now, Vennettilli's only one man. Granted, he's important, but he's only another actor in the play."

Sally nearly laughed. "That was shockingly poetic of you!"

"I pick up a book _sometimes_ you know!" the hedgehog winked. "Are you really feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. My stomach's acting up, but I'm fine. Another week and I'll come to terms with it."

One of the agents came out. "Sergeant Major Johnson, if you would step this way please, we would like to ask you a few questions first."

Johnson took a puff on his cigar. "As long as there ain't any 'no smoking' signs in there!"

The guys watched as Johnson was led into the room. Inside there were a few chairs, a computer with a neural amplifier, and a coffee dispenser. Just what sort of questions were they asking?

As soon as Johnson was beyond the door, the agents closed it shut, leaving Sally and her friends to sit quietly and speculate as to what was really going on in there. It was dead silence as they watched through the windows. Johnson was practically fogging up the entire room with his cigar. A thin cloud was forming on the ceiling of the interrogation chamber. He took his hat off and stroked his short black hair.

Sally narrowed her eyes and turned to the rest of the guys.

"What do you think they're asking him?" Tails asked. "Is he going to give them the name rank serial number thing?"

"No. Sarge knows that he needs to answer their questions. Orders." Ryan noted.

They waited for thirty minutes in near silence. Soon, the door opened and Johnson walked out no worse for wear. In his mouth was a new cigar glowing red at the tip.

"Sarge!" Ryan said. "What did they want?"

"That's classified, soldier! Can't talk about it."

"But…"

The lead agent adjusted his sunglasses and cleared his throat. "I believe that Corporal Percy would be a suitable candidate next. Come this way, Corporal."

Ryan looked at Sonic, and then to Sally. He then nodded and walked into the room. The door shut behind him and he sat down at the table.

This process repeated for hours. One by one, Sally's friends were brought into the room and were asked questions. Sally just sat there wondering what they were doing; what were they being asked? The agents sat there poker-faced. They didn't show any emotion and their sunglasses blocked eye contact. Not a shred of feeling. Not a lip twitch, not a smirk or a frown, not even a drop of sweat on their shaved brows. They were like robots. Sally did not like making that connection.

The guys on the other hand showed plenty of emotions with the exception of Ryan and Johnson. Because those two were Marines by trade, mastering their emotions was key to getting ahead in their careers. The Mobians however were _not_ warriors and had much more freedom with their emotions, and it showed. Miles for example had darting eyes with a couple questions. His ears twitched, and at times folded in hostility. By the time he left the interrogation chamber, he was nearly fuming, but still said that he needed to maintain a confidentiality between ONI and the Mobian government.

Sonic on the other hand was nonchalant the entire time. He leaned on his chair with his feet on the table. The ONI agents didn't seem to ask him to take them down as they delivered their questions. Sonic, as always, acted cool under pressure and didn't seem fazed. But when he left, even he said that the meeting was classified. When _Sonic_ refused to tell her details on a confidential matter, it bothered Sally to no end. Now she was really concerned and curious. After a few hours of waiting, she was called into the chamber.

* * *

"Highness, we want to thank you very much for waiting this long."

"No need to thank me." She said. "Let's get this over with."

"Yes your highness. Have a seat right here." the lead agent said. He gestured to the chair that everyone else sat in. Sally did as she was told and made herself comfortable. Not that one could be very comfortable sitting in chair surrounded by three agents.

"Coffee, highness?" The one on the left asked.

"You know what, I'll have one." She said confidently. She didn't trust these men and needed to show that she still had control. The ONI agents poured her a cup.

"There we are. This is Vanilla Bean, straight from the Dragon Kingdom. Very nice blend. Would you like cream or milk and sugar?"

"Three milks, two sugars." She simply said.

She got her drink. Now the atmosphere was tense again.

"Your highness, we would like to ask you a few questions related to how things are going."

Sally tapped her fingers. "That seems ambiguous. Care to explain?"

"It will be explained in our questions. Now then: How do you feel about the strength of your government?"

Sally didn't hesitate: "The government is strong. My parents are good leaders. They listen to their people and think about their safety first. They have never failed to protect us when the situation arose."

"Then how do you explain the Terran Dominion's invasion four years ago where they captured a major strategic position - this castle?"

"We were caught be surprise. We had no chance to muster our forces." She puffed her cheeks slightly. "If I remember correctly, Earth was invaded too!"

"Only a few locations other than New Mombasa were confirmed to have Terran occupation, and those were dispatched in less than a week following their defeat at New Mombasa."

"I killed the enemy Supreme Commander myself!" Sally stated. "In the throne room with the Sword of Acorns!"

"Be that as it may, you were unable to get to the palace without sizable UNSC assistance, correct?"

Sally sighed. They were right. Without Human hardware, their push on the palace wouldn't be nearly as clean or effective. "That… is correct."

The lead agent adjusted his glasses. "You also mentioned that your parents did what was best for the Kingdom. Would you say that they take care of family?"

"My parents love me and would do anything for me."

The agent on the right immediately jumped, "So why has the search for your brother Elias been stagnant at best?"

Sally snarled. They had mentioned her brother, who was still missing. Traces of Elias had been seen here and there, including wreckage of a Royal ship in orbit around the Mobian Saturn. Curiously, no bodies were seen anywhere around the ship, and the logs confirmed that Elias was indeed on board. In the last year though, the search had been less than spectacular. It was expensive to maintain too. The logical conclusion would be to assume he died and his body was lost somewhere in space.

But she couldn't believe that. Her brother was alive, and she would find him .

"I _never_ give up on my family." She said through gritted teeth. "I _will_ find Elias, and when I do, we will be united again as a family."

The agent on the left snickered. "Cute."

A fire roared to life in Sally's heart. She had all the mind to slam every one of these guys through the glass headfirst. She restrained herself however.

"Next question." She demanded.

The agent looked over a data pad. "Can you describe to us your feelings on how the UEG is doing at the moment?"

Sally knew politics enough to answer, "you know as a diplomat, it would be unwise to comment on an allied interest to the Kingdom and to Mobius."

"We're not asking you on the level of a diplomat. We're asking you for your opinion."

Sally sensed that they were really starting to get impulsive with these question. She kept her face even though and decided to play along. "My impressions of the UEG are impartial. I believe that they are a strong ally to have in terms of their technological advances as well as their widespread experience in galactic politics and economics. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Do you feel like the UEG is encroaching on Mobius in any way?"

"Encroaching? You mean, taking over?"

"That is not what we said." The lead agent responded.

A red flag shot up. Sally had everything she needed to start her own investigation, Why would they ask something like that? Out of the goodness of their hearts? Given her impressions of President Marshall and his Brain Trust group, this question about an intrusion on Mobian society was making things worse.

"No." She said. "I don't think the UEG is threatening us. Why would they? We're friends and allies. We would gladly support you at the moment you ask." She said the words but her intent was the opposite. She did feel that this new government was acting a bit overwhelming. The new tech, the secret drilling operations, the massive influx of troops… she needed to talk with her father as soon as she could.

The questions just kept coming. She answered them truthfully but wasn't afraid to deviate from the truth every now and then. Some of the questions struck close to home and she felt offended at a couple, and then they asked,

"What is your relationship to Knight Captain Vennettilli?"

Sally composed herself. "He is my commanding officer and in charge of OMEGA's military maneuvers."

"Is that all this relationship is? A simple chain of command?"

Sally shook her head. "I like to keep my friends close. I maintain a friendly atmosphere with everyone I know, including the Captain."

"_Ex-_Captain." the agent on the right said. "Are you certain that you aren't maintaining something a little more… intimate…?" he arced an eyebrow.

Sally's hands balled into fists. She dug her nails so deep into her hands that she nearly drew blood. "How dare you!"

"Your highness, it's no surprise that we should know this. After all, we _are_ a branch of the government, and our citizens, whether they are servicemen past or present are of great importance to us… in short, we know everything!"

Sally was embarrassed that ONI probably knew _every little thing_ that had gone on between them.

"We also know that your previous partner wasn't enough for you. What made you abandon him for a Human officer? The prospect of information?

Sally was more than offended now. These men had mentioned their knowledge of their sexual relationship and now they were… accusing her?"

"What are you implying?" She said in a low voice, looking at the agent with utmost loathing.

"Are you engaged with a relationship Vennettilli under the promise of military secrets regarding the UNSC's troop deployments and technology?"

That was the last straw. "We're done here. My father will hear about this." She was up and out of the door before they could say anything else.

One agent looked to another and smiled. "I think she took it pretty well!

* * *

At once, her friends were at her side. "Sally, what happened?" Sonic asked. "You bolted out of there faster than me!"

"These guys are insane! They think that I'm getting information about classified Human secrets!"

"_Are you_?" Tails asked, a bit nervous.

"_NO!_" Sally cried. "How can you even think that?"

"Sorry…" The fox said.

They walked back up to the main hall. "I'm telling my parents about this! I know that something very wrong is going on here! I'm sure you realize that too!"

Johnson huffed. "Just what sort of questions were they asking you? They were asking about my military service and experience with the Flood."

"They were askin' me about my robot limbs!" Bunnie stated.

"They asked me what sort of weapon contracts I had currently." Ryan said. "And I have a lot."

Sally then told them, and look at this in the big picture: With all of your questions combined with mine, what likely conclusion does that leave?"

It took them a second to understand the gravity of their situation. "They think Mobius is going to launch an attack on the UNSC?" Ryan said incredulous.

"Exactly." Sally affirmed.

"Why?" Tails asked. "Why would they think about that sort of thing?"

"I don't know. That's what I want to find out." Sally said. "And I think I have a good idea who's behind this. Stay here. I'll be back."

Princess Sally ran up to her parents' room. She took the stairs three at a time, hurrying to tell them the news. A few guards waved her through and she knocked at the door. It opened up and her mother stood there. "Darling! Come in!"

"Mother, where's Father? I have something important to…"

"Your Highness! What a pleasant surprise to see you!"

She turned and saw President Marshall standing at a table with her father. He wore a wide smile on his face. Her father seemed to have an even look on his face, but in his eyes, she saw that there was deep pain.

"I was actually meaning to get to the Dragon Kingdom to see the Premier, but I decided to stop in Knothole and see your father! The King is quite the golfer!"

Max gave a smile, but it was a forced effort.

"It's true, although my swings usually slice to the left." He said.

"Nonsense!" Marshall said. "They usually hit dead center in the fairways all the time!"

"So, why did you stop by here, Mr. President?" Sally asked.

"Just to deliver some news." Marshall said.

Sally nodded. "I'll get to that in a second. I would like to ask you about an interesting interview I just had."

Marshall didn't seem surprised. "You're talking about the recent surveys that have been going on! Most diplomats in the Alliance have been answering questions. We're trying to build up a knowledge base of our allies. Since Mobius is part of the alliance, everyone's been getting them."

"Right, surveys." Sally said, playing along. She had to make sure that she didn't come across as suspicious, but it was clear that Marshall knew a lot more than he claimed. "So… what was this big news?" she asked.

"I think that your father should tell you." The President said.

Max looked at his daughter. "Sally, what we're trying to tell you is that… Knothole has fully been accepted into the Alliance. We are now under full protection of Earth…" He cleared his throat, as if what was to be said next was painful. "We… are no longer in control of the Kingdom."

Sally's heart skipped a few beats. _What? _

_WHAT? _

_**WHAT?**_

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing Max. You will still have your status as a Royal, and you will still serve as Regent, but we'll make sure that nothing bad happens to the kingdom. You are now a full member of the family."

Max said, "Wonderful."

"But… why? Sally demanded. She was nearly in tears. How could her father allow this to happen? How could her father just fall before this evil man? "How?"

"Sally, before you overreact…" Max said, "I did it all willingly. The President made me see that as a civilization, we are far too underdeveloped to just strike it out on our own. We need help."

"We already HAD HELP!" Sally cried out. "The UNSC gave us free reign to let us run as we saw fit, and in return they offered protection! President LaFarge would have never done this!"

The response seemed to sting Marshall. He huffed, and said, "My predecessor - God rest his soul - made decisions that as a whole didn't benefit either of our sides. With our help in running things here, you are certain to be stronger. Your civilization will flourish, your economies will blossom, and you will have a way to fight the Xorda and defeat them once and for all."

"The Xorda, Sally." Alicia said. "They would pose a major threat should they return."

"But they _aren't_ here!" Sally argued. "They _won't _return!"

"Not with us watching your back, they won't." Marshall said. "Someday, you'll see that this was a great decision for all of us. It really will be!" He put on a friendly smile. It disappeared when the door opened. Howard Tudyk was standing there in a smart suit.

"Mr. President. I need you to come with me. It's urgent."

Marshall nodded. "That must be my communication from the Premier. I have to take that; I apologise."

"It's completely understandable." King Max said. "Go do what you need to do."

Marshall nodded. "Your Highnesses, I take my leave of you." With that. He turned on his heel and left the room.

Max was the first to say it, "Things will be different now."

"Father, how could you? A thousand years of our family ruling! How could you just buckle like that?"

Max looked into his daughter's eyes, and hugged her as she started to cry. "I meant it when I said I made the choice myself. It's a brave new world, Sally, and we must play by the rules of the game… or just fade away when the Xorda arrive."

"But… what about… everything this kingdom stood for? Unification, Friendship!"

Alicia comforted her daughter. "My precious, the Kingdom still represents that, and it still will until the stars fall from the sky. It's just not our problem anymore."

"We will still serve as Regents!" Max said with a brave smile. "The Kingdom will still have their guardians."

"But Father, this is only the first step. There's much more -"

Her father then said sternly, "I don't want to hear it, and that's final. I may not be a king anymore, but I'm still your father!

Sally sat down on her parents bed and let her face fall into her lap and she cried. She cried and she cried. It was all out of her control. She wanted Christopher. She wanted Sonic, she wanted someone to help her.

Anyone.

Things were going to be different.

* * *

Troy Marshall walked down the steps with his assistant. "Where is my Vice President?" he asked.

"Vice President Qualms is in Southamer making an appearance at the Station Square settlement." Tudyk said. "Did you give them the news?"

"I did. The Princess seemed to take it fairly well." Marshall said. "I was afraid that she caught on to something when she mentioned the interviews, but it appears that she didn't hear anything suspicious. I also trust that ONI wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize the operation."

"I am sure that they wouldn't sir." Tudyk said.

"Would you bet your job on it?" the President asked.

"I… wouldn't go that far sir. My pension maybe."

"Well then, let's test your luck." They walked out of the main hall and into an armoury. There they locked the door and stood in silence. "Now, what did the search times report?"

"I just received a message back on the emergency frequencies."

"Hmm… not good. This is not an optimal way to start your report, Mr. Tudyk."

"Sir, give me a moment. Installation 05's Library was secure. We had First Force Recon run through the entire structure. Unfortunately…"

Marshall was in Tudyk's face. "'_Unfortunately'_? Howard, did you think I was joking when I said that I would have something really nasty done to you if you didn't come through? I intend to make good on that promise!"

"Sir…" Tudyk gulped. There was no easy way to say the words. "There was no sign of Vennettilli. It appeared that he had fled the Installation through unknown means."

Marshall appeared neutral for a second, and then slammed his fists onto the wall of the armory. To Tudyk's shock, they left cracks in the ancient stone and mortar.

"You had better give me some good news quick Tudyk. WHERE IS THAT DAMNED MARINE?

"We don't know!" Tudyk said, frightened. We know that he was able to make it to an airfield on ring. Maybe he was able to commandeer or get aboard a ship. We managed to find and secure the Emerald Fox. Maybe there's some clues as to where he was headed next!"

Marshall was rubbing his hands still. "These damned…" he then looked at the Civilain ONI head. "You look like you want to tell me some good news. Spit it out."

"Sir… we captured his friends."

"Friends…? How many?"

"Just three. The Spartan insertion team picked them up. Two of them were mercenaries and the last one was a Mobian Air Force Major. They are currently _en route _to Earth for incarceration and interrogation.

Marshall then calmed down. "That's even better. Fantastic! You know what that means?"

"I'm not sure that I do, sir."

"As a soldier, our friend, the Captain feels a strong sense of loyalty to his friends. He will try to find them. He will try to save them."

"An expert deduction, Mr. President."

"Nobody likes a kiss-ass, Howard. Here's what I want you to do: I want you to get someone in touch with the airfield, and find out what ships took off that day. Once you have a clue, I want those ships searched upon arrival. Tell them to look in every compartment, because I will not have our entire plan go up in smoke because of one man who slipped through our fingers!"

"What about the Princess?"

"What about her? She's not important. She doesn't know anything. Now that the Knothole government is out of the picture, we'll be able to proceed as planned. Is that clear?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Very good. Now, what say we get something to eat? I'm fairly certain that the cooks will give me the 'presidential treatment'!"

"Most humorous, sir!"

"Shut up, Howard."


	20. Chapter 20: Man Overboard

Chapter 20: Man Overboard  
May 20th, 3233, 1400 hours  
Talahan V, Eta Cassiopeia system  
Livado Grassplains, Fratelli Continent

SIX YEARS AGO...

The normally hectic days on Talahan V during the war seemed somewhat absent today of all days. The skies which were normally filled with exploding flak and the whining of aerial combat were empty. Instead, the golden disc of Eta Cassiopeia shone down on the Livado Grassplains. The locals had a name for this disc. In the English-derived tongue, the sun was known as Rhaydyaent ('Radiant' in Earth English), and it certainly lived up to its name. The sun sent its energy to a slowly patrolling group of Marines and vehicles.

This was Falcon Group, a small detachment of Marines and vehicles that was moving across the plains. Quite often the firebases of Penicular and Firestarter traded vehicles and personnel through Livado. Today it was Falcon's turn to make the journey across the Livado.

The man leading the movement was Roswell Benedict, who was the only captain in the 50 man platoon. Also in the movement were four A270 Kit Fox APCs . Their 30mm Autocannons cast imposing shadows in the dirt. In a way, they resembled the ancient Scorpion tanks of times old, but they were much faster than any of the old vehicles. Benedict heaved his rifle over his shoulder and looked into the air. The sun was high in the sky but the moons were starting to set. One of the ice-covered moons shone in the light of the sun. In many ways, it reminded Roswell about home back on Orwell. He took a drag on his cigarette and called his lieutenant.

"Kapplin! Get over here!"

The lanky man with dirty blond tousled hair and a hooked nose ran up to the officer.

"Yes, sir?"

"Where's the rest of my squad?"

"Uh... they're back there somewhere." Kapplin looked over his shoulder.

"Make sure that they get their asses into formation before we're back in the jungle. Got it?"

"No problem, sir. Vennettilli! Where are you?"

Sergeant Major Vennettilli had violated one of the sacred rules passed down from Remus Stacker, the Unholy One and his old DI. Rule 74 stated, '_A Marine is a one man wrecking crew, court system, judge, jury, and executioner. A Marine is not to build ties for the fear of having them torn apart by the machine of war. Follow this one or pay the price_.'

Chris had broken the rule and paid the price. His best friend Charles Madison had died in his arms before the evac birds could arrive. Chris remembered the pain on his friend's face as both his legs had been blown off by a mine, and several shards of shrapnel were wedged in his chest. He remembered trying to comfort him as he was clearly dying. He offered to remove the shrapnel with his bare hands and give Charles a chance, but by then, he had slipped into unconsciousness. From there, he died without waking up again.

Chris had broken the rule, and he was possibly skirting the boundary of doing it again. He was chatting with other members of his squad, trying to get their thoughts on the situation. He was chatting with Dean Shepard, who was as close to a friend as he had on this swampball.

"So, what, this is the third troop movement this week?" Dean asked.

"The Commandant wants as many shared troops as possible. Because Firestarter and Penicular are so close, it's enough to keep him happy." Chris said.

"Well are they worried about an ambush?"

Chris shook his head. "Nah. The Livido Plains are relatively flat or somewhat rolling. No place to hide an entire army. Besides, we have this corridor secure."

"Ah, says who?" Dean asked.

"Overlord." Vennettilli said, referencing the Ops officer who was coordinating tactical info.

"And if Overlord came down here and said that to your face, would you believe it?"

"He's my superior officer."

Suddenly, Dean turned to face Vennettilli. "Listen here, before I was in the Corps, I worked as a cop on Galbadia."

"Galbadia?"

"Yeah, the planet famous for the Reckland Riots."

"Oh! THAT Galbadia."

"My job was to haul people in and determine whether they were giving me bullshit or not. I got pretty good at it after five years, able to sniff out the smallest stench and use it against them."

"So, what does this have to do with Command?"

"Command may say something to you, but it's up to you whether or not you want to believe it. My superiors always thought one thing and I wasn't afraid to show my apprehension towards their decisions."

"Maybe so." Chris said. "But I'm scared to death of standing up to Benedict and Kapplin."

"You want to know a secret, boyo?" Dean asked.

"Sure."

"I am too." He smiled nervously.

"SERGEANT!" Lieutenant Kapplin yelled.

"Oh shit." Chris gasped. "Yes sir!" He said running up to the officer.

"What's the status of the men?"

"Nobody's reporting any problems."

"Any of the APCs giving any issues?"

"Not that I am aware of, sir."

Kapplin nodded. "Alright, get the men up here in formation. We are less than five minutes from heading back in the jungle. I want you all ready."

"Yessir!" Chris saluted. "Guys! Stack up on me. Lieutenant wants us ready for jungle re-entry!"

The squad complied, albeit with a few groans. It was customary for them to be in formation for just about anything from drills, to movements, to going to the bathroom. Some in the Corps called Roswell Benedict the ultimate hardass. They weren't incorrect.

Within minutes, the convoy had entered the jungle. The calm and cool air turned sticky and dark. Strange alien birds cawed in the air and odd plants snaked all over the forest floor.

"Damn, are we on the same planet?" Corporal Sid Romano asked.

"Nah, Sid." Dean replied. "We're in hell."

Kapplin looked around. "Hey, is someone begging for a boot in the ass?"

"Hell no, sir." Sheppard said with a smug smile.

"Then wipe that disgusting grin off your face before I make Winston break your face." He pointed threateningly towards the Marine.

"Aye-aye sir."

Jeff Winston "The Silent" just looked on. He never really spoke unless he was accepting an order or reporting a marksman kill. Other than that, he made less noise than a mouse in a chapel. Some of the guys in Charlie Platoon thought he had a social disorder, PTSD or something. It certainly wouldn't be surprising considering the line of work he was in. However, some suspected that Winston had a sense of detachment, as most of his kills were at range, and he didn't have to see the light leave his target's eyes.

They walked another three minutes before Chris just felt something... wrong. Most servicemen developed a sense where they could anticipate danger, and this was a perfect example of a hazardous situation. It was too quiet, too convenient.

"Captain, I don't know about this..." Chris said.

"Shut it." Benedict said. "I've been down this route before. We'll be alright."

"I know but... something feels wrong. Where's our air cover?"

"Should be... uh..." Benedict looked to the sky. He froze for a second and then tapped his COM set. "Sharkfang, this is Charlie Actual. Where the hell are you?"

There was no reply other than white noise.

"Sharkfang, report in!"

There was silence. Just the hissing that was the background noise of the universe.

"Shit." Benedict cursed.

Chris saw something out of the corner of his eye lurking in the shadows. It was there for a second but then it was gone.

"Pulaski, Brooks. With me." He ordered. Two Marines nodded and flanked the Sergeant.

"Sergeant! Get back in formation!" Kapplin ordered.

"I think I see something over here!" He yelled. "Give me a second!"

"Oh, I don't like this." Brooks said.

Then, they heard it. In the trees, they heard the voices.

"_Ets peierd! Vyecho d'Enomen!_"

"Sarge..." Pulaski

"_Vai, vai, vai! Feyor!_"

Chris caught the last word like a bullet. _Feyor_.

Fire.

"_**RPG! RPG!**_" Chris screamed.

A jet of flame erupted from the trees and lanced one of the APCs. The vehicle exploded in shrapnel and the turret popped off the chassis to land in the muddy ground with a heavy 'thud'.

"SCATTER!" Benedict ordered. The men of Charlie Platoon took his word for it and ran all over the place. Some men took up firing positions and started shooting towards where the rocket came from. "SOMEBODY TAKE DOWN THOSE BASTARDS!"

Brooks took a shot in the shoulder and went down with a grunt of pain. "Aw _GODDAMMIT!_"

Chris grabbed the man and pulled him to safety behind a rock. By chance, a Corpsman was already there giving some morphine shots to a Marine wounded by shrapnel. He spoke with a Draconian accent. "You leave him with me, yes! I will take care of him!"

"Don't die on me, Brooks!"

"I'm just pissed off!" the hurt Marine said.

"Good man! Sit back and relax." Vennettilli adjusted his helmet visor and located Kapplin and Benedict.

"Get your ass over here, Terran!" Benedict called to Chris. "We need to take down those RPG gunners. Now Tallahase rocket crews generally had around 5-7 men in them with two being support gunners, one being the actual launcher, and the rest being common foot soldiers."

"But where ARE the gunners?" Chris asked.

"No idea. The fog blocks our view up to around a hundred feet. Those rockets came from at least two hundred and we have no IR goggles with us." Kapplin added. "We need to go and get them ourselves!"

The second APC started hammering rounds into the fog. Giant shell casings flew from the autocannon in spinning arcs. Unfortunately this made it a huge target and soon a second beam of fire intercepted the vehicle, blowing it halfway to hell.

"Now, Marines! We only have one APC left!" Benedict Roared. "Kapplin, Winston, Polaski, you're with me! Romano, Sheppard, Aer, you all go with Vennettilli! Move, gentlemen! We are NOT losing this last APC!"

The men broke the huddle and split into two fire teams. Fire Team Alpha proceeded on the left flank while Fire Team Bravo went on the right.

"_I'm getting some fire on the right. They haven't spotted us yet_." Benedict said. "_Sergeant, what's your status_?"

Bravo was keeping to the creek depression as they made their way to the NAV point on their HUDs. "We're crystal, Captain. Sounds like they're concentrated 50 meters ahead."

"_Muzzle flash!_" Kapplin shouted.

Fire Team Bravo stacked up against a large fallen over log. Fire Team Alpha took cover near a ravine. They took their positions just as another rocket launched, although this time the target was off. The user must have twitched because the RPG streaked up into the sky. On the plus side, it told them that the gunners were right on top of them.

"Man these guys are sloppy." Aer whispered. "Not even changing position after shooting."

"Heavy fog." Chris explained. "Restricts their view this far. But I see your point." He glanced around the side of the log, hoping that he wouldn't be spotted. "Sid, I need you to peek around your side. See if you can get eyes on any bad guys."

Romano nodded and glanced quickly. "I saw three, give or take another two."

"Yeah, I got around four or five. We going silent?"

"Nah. Let's rock 'em." Dean suggested.

Chris tapped his COM. "Captain, we have positive ID on five foot-mobiles on the other side of our cover. Requesting permission to engage."

"_Granted, Bravo. Bang and clear_. _We'll clear out our end_."

"Solid copy. We're ready whenever you are!"

"_Bang it, gentlemen. Good luck_."

Vennettilli nodded towards Aer. "You heard the man; show them the light."

"Roger!" Bruce said, taking a cylinder from his belt. He tapped the priming handle and tossed the grenade over the log. There was a flash and a loud clap followed by screaming of men as they were blinded. As soon as the clap sounded, Vennettilli's men jumped from cover and fired short controlled bursts into the stunned Tallies. His men sprayed full auto and cut down the rebels. To Vennettilli, he had slipped into Conditioned Awareness. The world slowed down and became absolutely silent. He saw flashes of blood arc in slow patterns, Shell casings brushed past his ear. He could feel the heat from the barrel on his fingertips. It was an extreme sensory experience for him, even when he was killing. Then he slipped back. The gunners were dead. Dean Sheppard was pulling his knife from the chest of a rebel and Sid was reloading his gun after expending his ammo. Bruce Aer just stood proud as he was the one who threw the flashbang.

Vennettilli looked to his right and saw Benedict's team utterly devastate the second RPG team. They didn't even need to flash it. The gunner was taken out in a second and from there it was a one-sided battle. Benedict himself slammed a rebel on the side of the head with his rifle butt. The Tallie's neck twisted at an odd angle and he dropped onto the dirt.

"_Alright! Hell yeah!_" Polaski crowed over the COM. "_Those guys weren't so tough!_"

_"Congratulations gentlemen, we just saved the rest of the convoy_. _The 182__nd__ proves once more why we kick rebel ass._"

It was a bit of a Pyrrhic victory as two APCs were lost. If someone walked away from what was sure to be a fatal ambush, then it was a victory in the hearts and minds of those that pulled through. They gathered and jogged back to the ruined convoy. A few Corpsmen were tending to the wounded and dead, setting up a casualty collection center to account for everyone. The first two APCs named Oscar 1 and Oscar 2 were in ruins. They were smoking, sending an acrid cloud into the sky.

Oscar 3 was still standing. The pilot was laughing about how he was still alive after that ordeal. Benedict walked up to the driver. "This thing have a computer in it?" He asked.

"Sure." The driver nodded. "We even have a holo-panel if you need tactical data-"

"The computer will do just fine." Benedict waved. With that, he stepped inside. "Kapplin, you're in charge. Get this convoy moving back to Firestarter triple time!"

"Yes, sir!" the Lieutenant said snapping a salute. "Alright you grunts! Here's the plan! We haul our asses to FOB Firestarter before another band of rebels decides to target us again! I want no whining, no backtalk; nobody stops to take a piss without my approval!"

"_Sir, yes sir!_" The troops called out.

Before they could move, there was a sound of engines in the air. They sounded like atmospheric jets.

"Is that our air support?" Aer asked.

They thought it was, until the sound of the engines came to their ears. It was as if someone were continuously tearing paper. It was a ripping roar. The thing that scared the UNSC's aircraft sounded like a constant rocket roar.

"Those... aren't ours..." Vennettilli said with a lov voice.

"Oh man, let's get out of here." Kapplin said, clearly spooked. "Captain, this is Kapplplin, we're hearing some really odd shit in the air that we assume are Tallie bandits on the wind. Can you do anything, sir?"

"_Firestarter's an FOB; no air compliment of any kind. I'll contact 4__th__ Picket and vector orbital asset _Star Guardian _to intercept enemy aircraft at those co-ord-"_

Oscar 3 exploded in a blossom of flame and shrapnel. The turret blew off the body and was launched ten feet in the air. Men screamed and ran from the destroyed vehicle.

"_**MOTHERFUCKER**_!" Kapplin screamed while looking at the destroyed vehicle.

Chris was aghast. "Captain Benedict! Sir!"

Not even white noise.

Kapplin grabbed the young man's collar armor. "Get your shit together! Benedict's dead! I'm in charge now! You got that? I want you to find some cover while I call for those orbital assets!"

Chris glanced past Kapplin into the ruins of Oscar 3. He was almost sure he saw the smouldering remains of a Human being. With that, he locked his helmet visor. "Aye-aye, sir!"

With that, more missiles streaked into the trees, blowing trees up and setting numerous fires. Now they could see the Talahan fightercraft that were cheaply made atmospheric jets. They didn't have very many aerospace variants and even less space fighters. The survivors ran for cover and Corpsmen pulled the wounded under rocks or logs trying to protect themselves from the ambush. Some of the craft made nose dives and blasted the dirt with their machine guns in hopes of gunning down targets.

Chris found a crevasse in between a few rocks that formed something of an impromptu cave. Inside were a couple of Marines who thought to make good use of cover. He didn't recognize them, meaning that his squad was still out there somewhere.

"Stay here and don't think of moving." Chris commanded the other Marines.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me twice." The larger one said.

"_Mayday! Mayday! This is Falcon Group from FOB Penicular calling any UNSC assets in the area! We are under attack in the jungle seven kilometers from the Livado Grasslands! Repeat, any serviceable air or orbital assets please report in!_"

Chris caught the broadcast on his COM set. It sounded like Kapplin was calling in reinforcements.

"_Solid copy, Falcon; UNSC _Star Guardian _making best speed to your location. ETA 3 minutes hard burn._"

"_Requesting use of Autocannons on Tallie Bandits_!"

"_Acknowledged. Stand by for re-entry_."

Then one of the rebel fighters came in low. This one was clearly pissed in messing with the Marines and decided to burn them like the ants they were. A missile streaked from under its wing and ignited. Chris realized – with his heart skipping a few beats – that it was headed in his general direction. He realized that staying in the cave was suicide. The fragments would shred whoever was inside. He had to run. With as much speed as his gear would allow, he ran for it, and hoped for the best. In a slit second, he had to analyze the ground looking for any deformations that could save his life.

Unfortunately it wasn't looking that way. There was nothing to dampen the missile strike. The weapon impacted and heaved the ground. Heat and force blew the Marine into the air. He couldn't fight it and cried out in shock. He flew through the air and blacked out.

* * *

Chris sat up with a cold sweat. "FUCK!" He screamed.

All around him, the cold confines of one of the ship's cargo holds creaked slightly as the ship accelerated in Slipspace. There was barely any sound, which made him even more nervous.

"NICOLE, what time is it?"

"It's 3:43 in the morning." NICOLE said. Her holographic form activating and looking over him. "You had another nightmare."

"Yeah." Chris said, sitting up.

"What was it this time?"

"I was back on Talahan. It was... it was the Vivado grasslands."

"What happened?"

"Vivado was where I got my Purple Heart." Chris explained. "It was terrible. The whole convoy was wiped out. Only fifteen men of the original eighty made it out. The base commanders had no idea how such a ramshackle attack force made it out alive. That was also when I was promoted to XO of my platoon."

"It must have been terrible."

"No... that wasn't my worst day." The young man sighed.

"What was that?"

"I'll tell you when the nightmare comes along. By this rate, I'll have relived the whole war before the trip ends."

Chris had been inside of the _Romulus_ for around seven days now. He had snuck into the ship inside a water container and used the cargo hold as a home of sorts. There was water, clothes, and even a couple of weapons in the other containers and he helped himself accordingly. NICOLE also did her part when she locked the door to the cargo hold, and posing as the ship's AI warning the deckhands that there was a minor hull breach that was being repaired. Thankfully, none of the staff had decided to take it up with the actual computer's AI. The one thing this room didn't have – at least not anymore – was food.

Chris was hungry. He hadn't eaten in three days, as it just so happened that the foodstores were on the _other side_ of the ship. He was in the wrong place. So his stomach reminded him of this predicament.

"Oh God, I'm dying here."

"Relax, you're just fine." NICOLE said, scanning him just in case. There was a reduction in energy and his motions were getting more sluggish, the sign of the body lacking energy. "Seems water isn't doing it for you right now."

"You think?"

She looked past the sarcasm. Come to think of it, she didn't know much about the ship outside of a few compartments on either side of their cargo hold and the guard routes in the hallway. "OK, here's the plan." She said. "What if I disabled the security systems so you could go and get a decent meal?"

"We haven't gone very far before." He said, referring to a short trek where he was outside for a grand total of thirty seconds before running back inside.

"Yes, but this time I'm going to go through the bridge."

"NICOLE, I don't know; you could be discovered."

"And if I don't go, you're going to pass out! We've been here for around 8 days!"

"Yeah, and I haven't eaten for close to... what, nearly 20? I've survived so far."

"I'm going out there, Chris. You can't stop me. Relax and get comfy. I'll be back in five minutes, tops. Just give me a second to interface with the ship's wireless network."

Chris huffed. "Doubtless they'll require a code."

"...which I have just managed to crack. I'm in and downloading. See you soon." She faded from view as her program slipped into cyberspace. Chris looked at the handheld for all it was, a computer devoid of an AI. He sat against his crate and thought intently on his future meal with lusting thought.

* * *

The mind of an AI was truly a remarkable thing. It was life, but not as corporeal beings knew it. Artificial Intelligences were machine with a bit of biological nature thrown in. As an AI, NICOLE had the privilege of seeing life in a way that no other type of person could. As easy as a thought, she could slip into the realm of electronics, information, and the deepest cracks of artificial worlds.

Now, cyberspace really has no existence to it, a faux pas generated by hundreds of years of tossing a term around. A Human being can't really experience such a thing, and needs a unique environment constructed in order to take in information. An AI needed to do the exact same thing. That being said, AIs created a unique version of cyberspace for themselves in order to make things easier for them. Sometimes this was preconceived. Sometimes cyberspace randomized for an AI. NICOLE had seen multiple variations of cyberspace; some of them a collection of platforms floating in a void, some of them a structure from the past. She remembered a time when she was in the Acropolis searching for information from Zeus himself. She decided that today, she would need to create an easy way to access systems.

She pulled up a partial blueprint of the ship, specifically the starboard side where they were on. Right away, she had a collection of rooms and corridors. Using that, she dipped her toes into the information. The non-existence seemed to shimmer into being. Suddenly she was standing in a hallway. She looked around and smiled. It was the exact replica of the _Romulus_' passageways, complete with representations of crewmembers going about their business.

She felt the joy of walking around in the world. Even though she couldn't feel or talk to these people, she felt a sense of existence. She found herself and continued on the task at hand. She set off on a brisk run, making sure to scan other computers to gain knowledge on where she was and what lay beyond a bulkhead. In actuality she was already spread out through the whole ship, but a larger concentration was 'moving' through the corridors. She had to be careful to make sure not to seem suspicious or the ship's AI might notice the signal. Best to appear like an energy pulse.

She made her way down another hallway and through a door. She gasped and flattened herself against a wall. A massive man, standing nearly eight feet in height lumbered through the corridors dressed in tight black pants and a muscle shirt. One look at his bulging muscles and the misshapen face told her that he was a Hunter. One of the monsters had gotten on this ship for some reason. If it was by chance, it was a bad hand Fate had dealt her. When the Hunter passes her, she realized that there must be a Stalker on board as well. That was bad news as one of them might sniff the Captain out. She needed to head for the Bridge to be certain.

She followed the floor plans, past the cafeteria and past the officer's quarters into a lift. She changed the deck and made her way to the command center. It was a cluttered space roughly octagonal in shape with officers in every bit of room. The Captain sat in the center seat with her hand to her chin looking out the window. She was saying something to the other officers but NICOLE couldn't hear her. She had no need to. Looking around, NICOLE tried to find out where one would access the Hunter/Killer info. She stopped dead, frightened.

A red spectre hovered in the corner of her vision. It was staring right at her. She turned slowly to face it. It had the body of a woman, but it was wearing a thick veil. Twin pinpricks of red light were visible in the shadows. NICOLE started to get scared. It was the other AI, and it was starting to catch on. This AI couldn't see her – at least not yet. It was getting suspicious though. She needed to act quickly. NICOLE accessed the Life Support console and tried to get any erratic lifesigns that would indicate the presence of a Stalker. This would include irregular breathing patterns, quick heartbeat, and rapid movements. She found them in port cargo hold six, approximately five of them. She started to access the camera.

There was a hard screech. She whirled around and saw the spectre move towards her. The red dots of light serving for eyes were peering straight at her. NICOLE started to panic. The other AI had noticed her. She had to send out false information and shield herself, making her look like a burst of electricity or something. She threw up firewalls, masqueraded as official files, anything that would stop this monster from detecting her!

The beast was closer now. The screech was getting louder. NICOLE thought about screaming, but she held on for now. She invented a report that excess energy had been routed to the bridge by accident. To sell this, she moved part of her run-time to the other part of the ship. She prayed to God or whatever being out there that this would work.

She was so close that she could see the facial features of the beast. It was the face of a stone angel. NICOLE could see the cracks in the stone and waited.

The screeching reached a peak, and then stopped. The AI peered at NICOLE for a second; surely thinking that_ something_ had to have been there, and then turned away and stood next to the Captain.

NICOLE felt triumphant! She had masked her presence from the ship's AI and could continue, but if she slipped up again, she wasn't sure she could cover her ass that time. She re-accessed Life Support and located the cargo hold. A thought later, she was there. Five boxes with Stalkers in them rumbled about with mechanical limbs scratching at the floor and eyes frantically darting. NICOLE realized that these Stalkers would be a threat to her and the Captain if they were called out to find the man. She decided they needed to be put out of commission. She made sure all of the alarms were off before sealing the cargo port and masking her presence yet again. Then, she slowly started to pump the air out of the room. It was a slow process, but she couldn't risk a fast move without being detected again.

The Stalkers didn't notice the loss of pressure at first, but after the air started to grow thinner, they started to bang on the floor and on their cages, desperately trying to free themselves. It was all in vain though. Soon the room was nearly devoid of air. The monstrosities flopped in their cages with saliva boiling from their mouths or blood dripping from their eyes. It was clear that they were dead from Asphyxia. NICOLE considered it nearly humane considering all they went through in life. Now that one loose end was tied up, she had to get rid of the Hunter. All in good time though.

* * *

Chris was doing pushups. Regularly, the ship had its gravity turned off in this section, resulting in free-fall. The best way to prevent bone degradation was to regularly exercise, and Chris decided to do that by doing extensive calisthenics when gravity was on. He was currently on push-up 43, barely even feeling the weight thanks to massive doses of punishment from his sergeants in boot camp. He was also thinking. He knew that there was high alert when he stowed away on the ship in the first place. It was entirely possible that the UNSC sent out alerts on his escape, and while they didn't know which ship he was on or where he was heading, it was plausible that they contacted Earth in the panic. So he would need to be ready for a search of the ship, and be ready to kill if he had to.

"This is bullshit."

"I agree, it's all bullshit!" He looked up in shock and saw to his horror, Captain Roswell Benedict standing in front of him. The only thing was, he wasn't all there. One arm was missing, an eye was missing, and parts of his skin were melted away by fire.

"Captain!" Chris said getting to his feet.

"Don't Captain me! You've got much bigger problems right now!"

"I... why are you here? You're dead!"

"And I have come back from the dead to whip you into shape! Stand at attention!"

"Yes, sir!" Chris said, snapping to.

"Good man!" Benedict said with remaining hand on his hip. "Look at you. Captain already. I hate to admit it, but you made me proud."

"Sir, I did my duty to the Corps."

"Hmm... looks like the Corps isn't treating you too kind now."

"Sir, permission to speak?"

"Granted." Benedict almost growled this; a side effect of his melted trachea.

"I was betrayed by the Corps. I was betrayed by ONI."

"Did you... resist?"

"Yes sir. It would have meant my possible execution."

Benedict looked at Vennettilli with his remaining eye. "Vennettilli, I don't believe once under my command you have ever refused an order."

"Sir, this was not-"

"You refused an order from a superior officer and did not comply! You are insubordinate! You ran. Admit it, you're a traitor!"

"Sir, _I am no traitor_!"

Suddenly, Benedict lunged out and grabbed Vennettilli's neck. Chris was being suffocated by Benedict's bony hand. He glared into his former CO's face, shocked that this was happening. There was no emotion on the Captain's face as he gripped harder.

"I can't believe a defiant man like you could have served in the 182! You disgust me!"

Chris tried to pry the hand off, but his vision started to black out. "Captain! Please!"

"Say you're a traitor!" The dead man barked. "Say you turned your back on all you've ever known!"

"I AM NOT A TRAITOR!"

"**BULL**_**SHIT**_!"

"CHRISTOPHER!"

NICOLE' s voice echoed through the cargo hold.

"NICOLE, help!" Chris croaked. "He's got me!"

"_STOP IT!_" she screamed.

Then he blinked. Benedict was gone. The bony, deteriorating man was gone, and all that was there was his right hand clamped on his throat. He looked at his hand for a split second and then let go, scared. "Oh Christ. Oh God."

NICOLE's hologram popped up and studied him. "What did you just do?"

"I... I saw my dead Captain. He told me I was a traitor, and then he tried to kill me."

"You tried to kill yourself!"

"I... I _saw_..." He studied his right hand. "I... tried to kill myself. Oh Jesus, this is getting worse. Now my hallucinations are actually interacting with me."

"You need serious help." NICOLE said. "I hope that you don't snap and actually... do it."

Chris looked at his hand again, flexing it. "I hope I don't..." He then averted his gaze and decided to leave it in the past. "How was your trip?"

"Um, I took a look around the ship. Apparently the food is in the opposite cargo hold. I can get you there with the access codes I picked up. Just a heads-up: I found a couple of Stalkers in my search. I... I killed them."

To her surprise, Chris nodded approvingly. "Good work. That makes things easier for us. They can blame it on a hull breach. If you're in the system again, I recommend cracking one of the airlocks open to sell the deception."

This was not what she expected. It appeared that Chris was more desensitized to killing UNSC personnel after being forced to do so over the last week or so. I guess that's what happens when your comrades turn on you. "OK. Do you have a uniform?"

"Yeah, here's some coveralls. No ship name on it though. As long as I can keep my distance, I should get by just fine."

"Yeah, make sure you find some deodorant. After all that time, you must reek."

Chris took a whiff. "Eesh, I guess I have been a bit careless. Sally would kill me."

"Alright. The sooner the better. We don't want that Hunter catching you."

"The Hunter? You didn't say anything about that."

"Just try to avoid him. He should be easy to spot."

A few minutes later, the disgraced Marine zipped up his stolen uniform and put a cap on his head. "Never thought I'd find myself in the Navy."

"_Don't get too comfortable. Try to blend in_."

"You mean walk like I have a pole up my ass?"

"_If that's what it takes_." NICOLE chuckled. "_Just don't get too close to anyone, and don't look suspicious._"

"Roger." Chris nodded. NICOLE unlocked the door, and Chris walked into the hallway. Thankfully, nobody was there. As a cargo vessel, the _Romulus_ would probably have more space than people aboard. Although one could never be too sure, especially with the Hunter. He consulted NICOLE. It wasn't far to the port side of the ship, roughly 100 meters as the crow flies. However, he needed to be discrete.

Chris headed aft towards the engines. He could feel the rumbling get stronger. He wasn't going to the engine room though. His stomach was leading the way, and that was towards the other cargo hold. He passed a Lieutenant and saluted him to keep appearances. The officer responded accordingly, although a bit lazily. Chris rounded a corner which took him through a long hallway nearly the size of a football field. Two Marines were leaning against the wall chuckling at a joke. Chris didn't make eye contact, but gulped as he saw that they too were from the 182nd Marine Infantry Division, but they were from 19th Battalion. They wouldn't recognize Chris, but they sure wouldn't strike up a casual conversation. Chris realized that his beard might do more harm than good because of dress code. He lowered his cap to hide his face, just in case.

He followed the corridors before he was in front of the cargo hold door.

"NICOLE, can you hack the door?"

"_Already done, Chris_. _Just be careful. Don't go overboard_."

"Relax. I'm just going to make a sandwich or something."

* * *

The lock hissed open, and the door slid apart for him. The cargo hold beckoned him forward and he accepted. NICOLE closed the door and locked it. "_Alright, much to your heart's content_." She told him.

"Not so fast..." Chris said. He carefully checked around to make sure that no techs were on duty. Satisfied, he then loosened up and looked for a crate of food. Most of the metal containers were airtight so that the food on the inside wouldn't be spoiled, but perhaps he could find some regularly stored containers. After about fifteen minutes of searching, he found a container of fruits and vegetables.

"Jackpot! They even have the green apples!" Chris said in triumph. He shone the apple on his coveralls and took a bite. It felt good to have something to eat. It tasted like heaven. The apple was no more in less than ten seconds. Soon he was digging in for another.

"_Jeez, you think you could slow it down_?" NICOLE asked. "_How do you think you can explain the waste_?"

"Rats?" Vennettilli suggested between bites. "Never failed before." He finished the second and paused. "Say, how far away from Earth are we?"

"_You asked me that yesterday_."

"Just tell me again."

"_We are actually a couple hours away from exiting the slipstream. I suggest we get ready for our escape plan_."

The plan was simple. Once the cargo ship had emerged from Slipspace, the best thing to do would be to locate a lifeboat and jettison it with them aboard. That way they could ride it down to Earth mixed in with regular traffic. Where they landed though was an entirely different story.

"Remind me again what we should do if we exit over an urban center?"

"Head for the city limits. I'd rather we crash in the suburbs if anything. Regardless, once we touch down, we're going to want to clear the area fa-" She stopped. She felt that someone was opening the lock on the door. "HIDE!" She hissed.

Chris chose a few crates to hid behind and just sat motionless as he listened to the lock opening. Deep footsteps entered the hold, confirming that whoever entered the hold was _big_.

"You think I wouldn't know when you snuffed out my Stalkers?"

"_Oh shit_." NICOLE cursed quietly. "_Oh no..._"

"You just offed 'em like they were dogs? I know you're in here. I know you're in here and I'm going to peel your skin off bit by bit!" There was a noise that sounded like scratching metal.

"Is that a knife?" Chris whispered, scared.

"_Negative. That's a _sword!" NICOLE corrected.

The scratching noise grew to a high volume and then the sound of two pieces of metal hitting the deck echoed through the hold.

"Please tell me what that was." Chris whispered.

"_You're not going to like it_."

"Just get it over with."

"_Chris, that is a twenty inch serrated blade tipped with diamond and nanolattice. Chris, he just _bisected a cargo container in one swipe!"

"Why the hell did you tell me?"

"_YOU TOLD ME TO!_" she hissed.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" The Hunter screamed. "I'm sick and tired of tracking you all over space!"

Chris was running out of time. It wouldn't be long before this man found him and made good on his promise. He needed a way to level the playing field.

"You need new tactics." Another vision said to him. Dean Sheppard knelt next to him smiling.

"Oh God no. Not now." Chris tried to whisper.

"_What?_" NICOLE asked.

"Sometimes the most obvious route is the best. What gives us our edge as Marines?"

"...we can fight in space!"

Dean smiled warmly and then vanished. "It was all you on this one." The vision said.

"NICOLE, can you disable the artificial gravity in this compartment?"

"_Yes I can! Tapping in... disabling graviton flow... we have micrograv._ _Rock him when ready. Just brace yourself_."

Chris checked his magazine and prepared to fire.

The Hunter took another step and nearly pitched over. "WHAT'S THIS?" He roared in shock. "You trying to piss me off?"

"No." Chris said, emerging from cover and aiming Rouge's pistol. "Just tying up loose ends."

The weapon barked, sending the 10mm round into the Hunter's shoulder. The deformed face contorted in rage and made him tumble. Chris nearly lost his footing too. For all the hope and planning of the pre ass-kicking one liner, all the round did was make the Hunter angry. Queensbury Rules be damned. Now was the time to kick him while he was down. Chris emptied the whole magazine into the Hunter who seemed to just float in the air and was pushed by bullet impacts. When the magazine went dry, Chris dropped it from the gun and inserted a new one. He pushed off from his wall and moved to another.

Amazingly, the Hunter wasn't dead. If anything, the bullets just served to empower the man, like he absorbed the lead for energy. Using the monster sword, the Hunter pushed off from the deck and surged towards the Captain. Chris jumped, using the momentum to carry him to the roof. Chris blasted half a magazine into the Hunter, to _no effect_.

The monster chuckled. "That it?" He growled. Then out of nowhere, there was a slash. Chris' coveralls were cut and blood sprayed on globules. Red orbs floated in microgravity. He felt burning pain in his chest and tried to stop the bleeding. Chris twirled in the air and let go of his gun. The Hunter smelt the scent of copper in the air and then drew in for the kill. Chris had one last trick up his sleeve.

"NICOLE, LOCALIZE GRAVITY INCREASE!"

"_What?_" She said. She had absolutely no idea what he was saying.

"DO IT!"

She spent a nanosecond wondering what he was babbling about, but then she realized! Some ships had a system that forced graviton particles in a direction that simulated a 1G environment in areas as small as a foot. She did a quick search of the systems of the ship – making sure not to alert the AI – and saw that there was a compartment by compartment system. Barely thinking, she tripped it.

The Hunter was pinned to the floor at once. "NO!" He screamed. "NO! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME SO EASILY!" The monster cried in disbelief.

Chris clutched his chest in pain. "NICOLE, crush the bastard."

In a movement of coldness, she said, "_How fast?_"

"Let him think about it." The captain said with cruelty.

"_On it_."

Chris ripped off the coverall sleeve and used it as a bandage for his chest, and touched down on the deck just in time to see the man die. He roared in pain as he was slowly crushed by the flow of particles. Chris stood motionless as he heard bones crack and crumble. The roaring this thing produced was utterly frightening, but still he stood there watching and waiting for this thing to die. It took twenty minutes. The arms and legs were flattened, and blood was leaking out of the Hunter's eyes, ears and mouth, until he heard a clearly audible snap where the neck finally broke, and then he was still. Chris watched still for any sign of movement. Only minor reflexes were seen, but when even those stopped, then did the Captain relax.

"_I can't believe we did that_." NICOLE said. "_I never thought I would kill something in that way. That was... horrible_."

"I was lucky to walk away from it." Chris winced, touching the now-red piece of cloth. "I need a medical kit."

"_There aren't any in here. There is a clinic a deck up from here. Only staffed by one person. The rest are in cryosleep._"

"Good." Chris said, walking to the door. He made sure the hallway was clear, looked one last time at the crushed body, and went on his way.

* * *

The journey was quiet. Nobody was alerted by the scuffle, and almost everyone was in cryosleep. This meant that there was pretty much nobody to stop him as he went to the clinic. He was sure to take the stairs so that he wouldn't get any surprises from passers-by. Deck 3 was where the clinic was at, and he walked through the door, pretending to be in much worse pain than he was in.

"Help me!"

The man at the desk dropped his pen. "Jesus Christ! What happened?"

"I was working in one of the cargo holds and got slashed from one of the movers!"

The doctor looked at the wound. "Looks pretty deep! You got cut good! Come here, sit down." He led the Marine to a chair in the far corner and opened a medical supply kit.

"I'm amazed you could get here with that. You should have called me the moment you got it."

"Sorry." Chris said. "Things were pretty hectic."

"No problem." The doctor said. He tapped a needle. "This is a coagulant to stop the blood flow. You'll feel a bit of constriction in the chest, but that will go away." He put the cocktail in Chris' arm and wrapped a length of dressing around the wounded man's abdomen. When he was finished, he looked over Chris' body, and spotted his dog tags. "You're a Marine?"

"Ah..."

"What were you doing working in the cargo hold? Marines aren't supposed to do that! Where's your ship patch and nametag? Who are you?"

Chris head butted the medic.

"I'm new."

"_Nice shot._" NICOLE said. "_Now where do you suggest we hide the body_?"

"Somewhere where someone wouldn't look for him. We don't want him waking up and spoiling our escape."

"_Try a storage cabinet._" She suggested. There just happened to be a suitable candidate. It looked like a locker on steroids and was four feet deep. It was the perfect place to hide a body.

"Shit, I forgot: the cameras!"

"_I've tried my hardest to make it seem like we were never in here._" NICOLE said. "_Don't know if it worked, but the AI can't monitor every little thing on the ship, and Security must have hundreds of screens to go through. Needless to say, we'd better hurry_."

Chris felt much better now that the coagulant was holding him up. He marched confidently with pistol stowed safely. His new objective was the escape pods, which were actually about a hundred feet away, which passed in seconds. Getting in was easy enough, and as expected, nobody was there. He found one of the vehicles and slipped inside and closed his eyes waiting for the jump to end.

"NICOLE, time to realspace transition?"

"_Thirty minutes_."

"We want to time our launch with the transition so that we can hide our emission."

"_Excellent deduction. Exactly what I was thinking_."

He waited with white knuckles on the control console for the moment to come.

"_Stand by..._" NICOLE whispered. "_Stand by..._"

A shriek filled the cockpit.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" The Captain roared.

"_They found us! We have to launch now!_"

The ship's AI had noticed a few odd system changes throughout the ship and got curious. It looked into the matter and discovered the stowaway. It had personally followed Vennettilli from one side of the ship to another in a sort of reconstruction, and deduced correctly where they were.

"_Chris! Launch the lifeboat!_"

"Will we make the transition?"

"_Anywhere's better than here!_"

He tapped the release, and with a bang, the escape pod jettisoned from the cargo ship into Slispace. Because the pod didn't have a drive, it immediately reverted to normalspace, rocking violently as it made the trip back to reality. Chris bashed his head off the windshield, putting a small crack in the reinforced glass. With a flash, the appeared not fifty thousand kilometres from Earth, coasting on momentum. The _Romulus _went on ahead, confused on where the pod went.

"We did it!" Chris said with delight.

"_We're not out of this yet. We just have to let gravity do its job, and we'll be back on Terra Firma in time for dinner_."


	21. Chapter 21: Unfamiliar Recollections

Chapter 21: Unfamiliar Recollections  
June 6th, 3234, 1814 hours  
Earth Orbit

The lifeboat tumbled in space over and over again, rustled by its sudden departure from Slipspace. True, while the journey was rough, it was made in the best interest of the highly stressed passenger. The disgraced captain Vennettilli lay in the pilot's chair grabbing his chest which started to leak blood from the wound obtained from the fight with the Hunter. His breaths came rapid, but at the same time, strong. He was in no danger of dying from this injury, but he was not taking his situation for granted. In truth, he wasn't feeling much of anything at the moment.

Chris sat in the seat with his eyes half-closed. He gazed out of the cracked windshield to see Earth spinning in the distance. Slowly they made rotations where his home would would be visible for a second, a shining star for another, and blackness of space for the rest. His mind was taxed greatly over the last couple of days. He just couldn't take it.

"Ni... NICOLE, what time is it?" He asked in something a little more than a whisper.

"It's 6:15 in the afternoon." NICOLE's hologram said. "Today is June 6th. Do you know what that means?"

"June 6th." He squinted hard to try and remember the significance of this day. "June 6th... What happens today?"

NICOLE looked at the man with pity. "Your birthday is tomorrow, Chris."

He seemed to remember after this. "Oh yeah! Yeah. Tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be turning... twenty... twenty... fuck."

NICOLE decided not to involve herself that time. First and foremost it was an excercise that she was using to determine Chris' mental stability. Things were not looking good at the moment. She was concerned greatly over the Captain's integrity. He was her friend. A pang of sadness resonated within her programming. It was like watching a dying man remember details about his childhood.

"I'll be turning twenty six." He finally concluded. "That's right, isn't it?"

NICOLE nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Chris pulled himself into a straighter sitting posture. He winced as a bubble of blood floated from the bandages into the air of the lifeboat. "I'm a wreck: I'm babbling, I'm seeing things, and to top it all off, I'm starting to forget how old I am. Is there anything in your programming that can tell me what's going on here?" The Human asked this with intent in his voice, but she had no real answers to give.

"I don't have anything that can help you." the lynx said. "This is a program that, frankly, I can barely even recognize as a computer program. This is a fundamental step above anything we would consider code or algorithms. It's simply too alien to interpret, even for me!"

"So not even the Smart models back home would help?"

"Chris, I'm from the future. If I couldn't understand it at that point, what makes you think I can understand it now?"

"That firewall of yours." the Marine pointed out. "If that was out of the way."

"Well it's _not_. Get used to disappointment, because it's all around you here." She noticed that she had made him upset and attempted to change the subject. "Have you tried sleeping?"

He unclipped his belt and drifted around the cabin. "It doesn't feel like sleep, and I never close my eyes for more than half an hour at a time. I shut my lids, and then boom, I just wake up. I don't see anything, and there's no drowsiness."

"You can't dream?"

"Nope. Well, not anything I would count as a dream. More like, memories from another person."

"That must be the meories of the person who made the Cypher." NICOLE reasoned. "What have you been seeing?"

He sat there for a second trying to formulate a good enough answer to give her. "Everything, but at the same time, nothing at all."

"Care to explain that in more detail?" the hologram of NICOLE said.

Chris put a hand to his temple with his eyes closed shut. "I can see... I see a face (at least I think it's a face). It's blurred. I can't make out anything other than a mouth opening and closing. There's Forerunner text all over the place, plus flashes of Chaos Emeralds."

NICOLE said, "Can you see the text? Perhaps I can interpret it."

"No, it's going too fast for me to see. I can't even catch a single character. I see planets and moons. In the distance, there's a binary star. I see... something that looks like a ship. But... it's not like any ship I've ever seen before. It's design is so... alien that I... that I..." Then, he stopped midsentence. He shuddered as if a seizure were ripping through his body.

"Chris? CHRIS!" NICOLE shouted. She could do nothing though as she saw the young man's eyes roll into his head as it started to rock against the headrest violently.

* * *

He was gone. He was free of the lifeboat and its metal confines. His consciousness was straming through thousands of lightyears in a matter of seconds. Chris had no idea where he was and didn't feel any part of his body. In a moment of confusion and dread, he concluded that his entire mind had left his body... or was still there and recieving the mother of all psychic visions. He wasn't sure which.

Stars sped past him like Christmas lights. He saw flashes of worlds that had their surfaces burned by fire. He saw alien creatures that he couldn't even fathom. He saw a biped with gigantic eyes and long spindly limbs that screamed at him. He saw alien numbers and mathematics that would take him decades to even comprehend. All of this happened in seconds and in this time, he still had no idea about where he was even going.

Then another flash burned him and from the darkness emerged a monster the likes of which he had never seen: a supermassive black hole.

Every schoolchild nowadays knew that within the heart of the Milky Way galaxy, there was a black hole of such immense size and density that millions of suns couldn't even compare to the mass that a monster like that could ever achieve, and there it was, bending the light of the entire galaxy around it.

His movement was not his own. He rode this hellish roller coaster around the black hole. He remembered the warning about the Galaxy Bomb and how it had to do with this natural phenomenon. Just how did the black hole fit in?

From the infinite darkness came something he did not expect: a ship, or a station of some kind. Honestly speaking, it could be something entirely different that was so alien that he couldn't even grasp it. It was long, with one end fanning out into something he couldn't make out. Perhaps that was an engine of some kind. Massive spines protruded from the back of the object, which made the thing look like a skeletal flower. What caught Chris' attention specifically wasn't so much the shape of the object itself, rather the beam of light that was shooting from what he assumed was the bow of the vessel. The green beam extended from the ship into the depths of the black hole, eventually becoming too small to see.

The question here was why someone would want to shoot a black hole? It wasn't like you could actually destroy one. But then Chris reconsidered and had to think about what he was really looking at. He concluded that he just didn't know. He didn't know if it was a weapon, a ship, a space station, or something else entirely. It was far more likely that this thing was just too alien to understand. Then that raised another question? Who built it?

A hulk of metal flying across his vision gave him an answer. He looked at a ship as it was being pulled into the gravitational singularity of the black hole. The destinctive color and angular shape told him that it was a Forerunner vessel. He couldn't believe it. A Forerunner ship was broken and dead in space as it was pulled apart by gravity. The mere sight that something so powerful being destroyed told him that the people who built this _thing_ shooting the green beam into the black hole must have been _eons_ more advanced than even the great Forerunners.

Then the view changed again. He swept around and saw that a whole fleet of Forerunner ships were behind the first one, all of them trying to escape the gravitational pull of the stellar monster. All of them were failing. He silently hoped that they would Slip away, but it didn't come. Every single one of the alien vessels was pulled apart like building blocks, and even if anybody survived that, they were swallowed by the beast.

They were gone. A whole fleet of ships obliterated in one deft motion. Why hadn't they jumped to slipspace? They could have used the gravitational pull for momentum while they ploughed into FTL. It would be an easy thing, but something wrong happened here. That one simple move didn't happen, and it cost what Chris was sure was over a hundred thousand lives. It was amazing to watch, really.

But then his vision blacked out. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the lifeboat.

* * *

"Hey, can you hear me?" he heard someone say. The face in front of him was out of focus. "Hey, wake up!"

"Wh... who are you?" Chris asked.

"Hold on, you're a bit dazed. I'm a doctor. How many fingers am I holding up?" the man held up his index and middle finger. Chris squinted to make them out.

"Two."

"OK, your cognative skills are looking good." the medic reached into his breast pocket. "Follow my pen." He held his utensil in front of Vennettilli's eyes and moved it to the left, up, down, up, right, and left.

"Shouldn't I be in a hospital for this?" Chris asked.

"Hang on. We'll get you out of this pod in a second." the medic said. "Last thing: can you tell me why you were out here in the first place?"

Even in his dazed state, Chris wasn't stupid enough to answer that honestly. He knew that the _Romulus_ would report a missing lifeboat, but he would buy himself as much time as he could. "We were in slipspace and had a reactor breach. We were told to jump ship, and I was the only one able to get to the pod. I don't know if any of the crew came out around here."

"What was the name of the ship?" The medic asked.

"I think I should really be in a hospital. In case you haven't noticed, I'm bleeding from the chest here!"

"What was the name of the ship? Tell me, and I'll get you out of this pod."

Chris was silently thankful that the medic didn't ask how one could possibly get a chest injury from a reactor breach. "The..." he searched through his mind for a suitable name and said, "The _Alicia_."

"The _Alica_, huh?" The medic sighed. "Alright. Odds are she's gone though. Good thing you got out when you did, crewman. Reactor breaches are terrible things. Hope you didn't get radiation poisoning."

"Can I PLEASE," Chris said, wincing slightly, "go to a god-damned _hospital_?"

The medic seemed happy to do so this time. "Certainly." he nodded. "A promise is a promise. Follow me." He drifted towards the back of the lifeboat and braced himself against the bulkhead. He tapped the airlock's control panel and keyed the release.

"_Warning, pressure differences will result in explosive decompression! Do you wish to proceed_?"

The medic looked at Chris squarely in the eye, smiled, and said, "Yes."

"Wait, what?"

The hatch sprang open and exposed the stars beyond. A blast of air exploded from the lifeboat's interior into space. There was barely any time for Chris to flinch as the air was sucked from his lungs. He grasped at a chair arm and held it to avoid being blown away while in free-fall. Within a fraction of a second, the air was gone, leaving the cabin silent and slick with flash-frozen ice.

He could feel the saliva on his tongue boiling in vacuum. He needed to close the door quickly before he passed out. The endagered Captain thrusted himself across the short distance to the airlock, taking care not to launch himself out the open portal to certain death. His body hurt as the bends were slowly taking place. The damned panel was right there, clear as day. His shaking finger tapped the touch screen and the hatch closed in silence. The air reserves on the lifeboat automatically responded to the lack of pressure by pumping in oxygen. Chris was nearly seeing entirely black when the air hissed in. At first, he was taking huge gulps to gain even a fraction of his vision back. Within another five seconds, he was breathing normally, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh man, thank God."

"Thank _GOD?_" He heard a snappy voice cry out in horror. "I saw you nearly kill yourself! This time you just about did it!"

He kicked around and saw NICOLE looking at him with eyes so wide that they nearly fell out of her holographic head.

"Where's the medic? Was he blown out?"

"What, what medic?" NICOLE said. "You muttered to yourself, I tried to talk you out of it, and suddenly you decided it was too stuffy in here and wanted a breeze!"

Chris found a seat and sat down. He wiped the ice flecks from his beard. "You mean he was a hallucination?"

"No, I'm saying that he was carrying an active camouflage unit, and magically, you had the power to see through it!"

"NICOLE, I nearly unwittingly committed suicide. Now's not the time to take my job and be the deadpan snarker. Don't insult my intelligence."

NICOLE placed a hand to her head. She was truly surprised by this Human. She was surprised that Sally even _considered_ getting in bed with him in the first place - granted, they both were drunk when it happened. He was arrogant, sarcastic, narcassistic at times, foolhardy, proud, chauvenistic, and _now_, he was shrugging off a near-death experience as if someone he didn't like made an offhand comment on how ugly his shoes were or something. However, she had to remind herself that he was in a rather rare position of having the organic equivilent of having a hard drive completely full of clutter.

"This hallucination," she began, "you didn't recognize this man?"

"Never seen him before in my life."

"Now _that_ is interesting actually. All of your hallucinations or visions so far have comprised of people that you actually know, or knew at some point in your life. This one's different: it appears that the medic was generated specifically for the task of trying to get you to kill yourself. Your brain is now thinking of more creative ways to off you."

"Gotta love the subconscious." Chris said with faux-enthusiasm. "Such imagination; such grandeur!"

_There's the Human I know!_

"This is really helpful. The program in your head is taking up so much neural space that it must be interfering with major aspects of your cognative and mental skills. You were having trouble remembering when your own birthday was for Mobius' sake! Your brain needed to get things back in balance."

"Through killing me." Chris said flatly. "Seems counterproductive, really."

"Sometimes the simplest way is the only way. Can you answer a question for me?"

"Hmm?" The tired Human hummed.

"When is your birthday?"

"Oh no, no more tests! Last time I took a test, I nearly blew myself out the airlock!"

"Just answer the fucking question."

Chris raised an eyebrow because it was the first time that he had ever heard NICOLE use the word 'fuck', and so passively, like it was a natural part of speech. He could tell though that she was slowly getting pissed off.

"Right then: my birthday is... my birthday is on... is on... February...? GOD DAMN THIS SHIT!"

_CLANG!_

The entire hull of the lifeboat shuddered, and Chris was thrown out of his seat into the ceiling where he bumped his head. "What just hit us?"

Data flowed through NICOLE's body. "A better question would be 'what just _caught_ us'. We've been tethered."

Chris swore again. That's it - game over. After all the running and planning, he was caught on the doorstep of his own home, all alone in a lifeboat. Quite a fitting end to his great run from justice.

"What is it, President Marshall's personal yacht? Maybe he'll have hundreds of party guests waiting to point and laugh while I'm taken away in handcuffs."

Even NICOLE had to smile at that. "Nothing so elaborate. I'm reading the vessel as the UNSC _Burro_, a _Sarajevo_-class surveyor."

"A survey ship, named _Burro_? Burro is Spanish for donkey. We've been caught by a space ass."

NICOLE said, "I see the Cipher hasn't reached your lower sarcasm node yet. Can't happen soon enough."

"Oh, is that a challenge?"

"Shut up! Someone's trying to talk to us!"

Chris stopped what he was doing and just listened:

"_This is the UNSC _Burro _contacting derelict lifeboat Foxtrot Echo Foxtrot 3. Unless I am mistaken, and an old man in my position rarely is, I think that there is one Captain Christopher J. Vennettilli on board. Speak up, boy! Let me know you're still breathing!_"

The Texan drawl would be recognizable if it were all the way in the Saggitarius Arm!

Chris tapped the COM. "Admiral? Is that you?"

"_The good Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways, Captain. Yeah, it's me alright! Come on board and we'll discuss things over a bottle of the Old Kentucky_."

He killed the COM for a second. "How do we really know that this isn't a trap?" he asked NICOLE.

"Does it matter? They have us anyway. One way or another, we're leaving this pod."

"_I know you may not trust anybody wearing the uniform right now, but I think you may want to double time it. It's about Sally. Things aren't going too good for the kingdom._"

"I'll be right over. Connect a docking bridge, sir."

* * *

NICOLE rolled the lifeboat in space to orient with a docking tunnel that extended to them. The _Burro_ moved closer until the hatches hooked and synched. Within a minute of docking, the hatches cycled open, and the Captain (with NICOLE in his hand), walked onto the ship. Standing before him, as refined as ever, was Vice Admiral Gerome Andsworth.

Chris caught himself saluting. "Sir!"

Andsworth only laughed. "I thought you'd forgotten how to stand at attention. You're on the run, so I'll let it slide. He looked the young man over. "Good God, the last couple months haven't been good to you. You're a wreck."

"Being a wanted man does that to you, sir." He looked around. "Begging the Admiral's pardon, but why are we-"

"-standing in the hall of this cheap piece of Sinoviet junk instead of the elegant corridors of my beloved _Indomitable_? Your story first, and then mine." He looked down the docking tunnel towards the lifeboat. Andsworth turned to a tech. "Dispose of that." He ordered. "No need to attract unwanted attention, and better to leave them fubling in confusion when they actually find the damned thing."

"Aye, Admiral." the Navy tech replied. The hatched sealed, and the lifeboat was blown free of the _Burro's _hull to spin in space, minue its' sole passenger and AI.

"Now, follow me, Captain. There is so much for us to talk about."

Andsworth led him down the dingy halls of the _Burro_. Chris took a look and decided that compared to the _Emerald Fox_, and especially the 200+ year old _Indomitable_, this was the ugliest ship he had ever been on. Ever. The ceiling was low, pipes were exposed, the flooring was grated and shabby, some of the windows even had _cracks _in them, and the chair padding had terrible polyester weaving. There was no possible way that Admiral Andsworth, the man who wanted nothing less than 110% would haven chosen to captain this ship by choice.

He followed the Admiral into what he assumed was some sort of meeting center. He couldn't think of it as a briefing room because this ship did not seem to be built for such a purpose.

"Please have a seat, son." Andsworth said. Chris was only too happy to accept the offer. The young man quickly sat down in the uncomfortable chair. He placed the AI on the tabletop. Adnsworth smiled. "Hello NICOLE."

The lynx materialized in holographic form. "Alwaya a pleasure, Admiral. I am glad that we can meet together again."

"My thoughts exactly." The older man said. "You need anything? Water, soda? Something a little stronger?"

"I don't drink." The disgraced Captain said. "Water's fine."

A midshipman came and set down a glass with frosting on the outside. Chris took the water and gulped it down, enjoying the coldness of the liquid. He also crunched up an ice cube in his teeth, relishing the noise it made as it became slush.

"Hell of a ship you have here, Admiral." Chris said. "How long until her next tune up?"

Andsworth seemed to have caught the friendly joke but only flashed the hint of a smile back to the young man. "We can't _all_ be blessed with the magnificent new inventions that grace the fleet. I am but a simple Admiral tasked with patrolling the dangerous areas of space… where many a ship eneter and few re-appear."

Chris could tell that the Admiral was not giving the last few words anything that resembled joy appreciation. As a matter of fact, they seemed to be ringing with sarcasm; a language that Chris knew well enough.

"There's only one person in the world that could have brought you to this."

"Yup." The old man nodded sadly. "And it all happened because I didn't go after you personally."

NICOLE nodded in understanding. "You were skeptical."

"The news didn't fit what I knew about the Captain. Someone who dedicated themselves to the Corps for years suddenly tries to turn traitor and, quote, 'smuggle information to politically ambiguous allies' doesn't sit well with me. I knew something was wrong right from the very beginning. I could feel it in my bones.

NICOLE said, "Well, then it should come as no surprise when we tell you that… wait… is this room secure?"

"Little Lady, this is a ship that was built to travel to the ass-ends of space and chart the most monotonous gas particles that the Navy has to offer me. We have minimal firewalls, little to no weapons, and our AI is Dumb. I trust the men and women on this ship. Some people found my abrupt transfer to be suspicious to say the least. Now go on. What did you two find out?"

NICOLE cleared her nonexistent throat. "As I was saying, we found out an interesting fact regarding President LaFarge's death."

"And…?" Andsworth sounded pressed to hear the next sentence.

"It was murder."

Gerome Andsworth got up and started pacing about. He rubbed his forehead with his hand and breathed deeply. "I guess it would be foolish of me to say that I didn't see something like this as a possibility, but to actually hear something like this…" He sat back down, pulled the chair closer, and looked at the disgraced officer intently. "Where did you two get this information?"

"Immedietely following our escape from Mobius and the destruction of the _Elijah Jones_…"

"Stop there. We're not going forward until you tell me what in God's name you did that day! You know you destroyed an entire ship of people! 200 men and women died on that ship!"

"I know!" Chris said, brow furrowed. "I know. I see the explosion every time I go to sleep. I keep on hoping that the ship would just fire bow thrusters and move out of the way, but it never would." He placed his folded hands to his lips. "Sir, the ship turned to intercept the shot broadside."

"And why did it do that? You know that that one action will saddle you with the death penalty if they ever catch you? There are posters of you all over every inner colony within fifty lightyears. Quite the bounty on your ass alive. You're worth nothing to them dead.

_Interesting_.

"May I continue, sir?"

"Granted." Andsworth nodded.

Chris and NICOLE continued to tell their tale to Gerome, who sat there for nearly three hours listening to what they had to say and asking questions only when it was very important to do so. Christopher left nothing out of his recollection. It was like verbally making a report to a superior officer – which it was technically. Every tiny detail had to be noted if a situation was to be properly understood. He covered the Kingdom of Blaine, the Spartans on Installation 05, and most importantly, he revealed the nature of his companions, Samantha, Alan, and Abigail.

This made Andsworth even more curious. He was spot on about Vennettilli having some form of assistance during his run from the law. He could understand the fact that a indiginous soldier would help a respected member of the military – plus a member of the Royal Peers, but the mercenaries were a different matter entirely. Mercenaries were not cheap on the best of occasions, and nobody really hired any of them unless the reason was very good. Another thing was that they wouldn't just take any job, and since this particular pair came from Vanguard, they needed to be Lone Wolves.

So who hired the mercs?

He presented this question to Vennettilli who responded with a straight face:

"I don't know sir. I never found out from them."

"They didn't seem willing to explain the nature of their client?"

"No, I mean that the contract was paid anonymously. I read the contract invoice that the CEO made them take along. He never got the information from the client."

"I thought that mercenary groups needed to run background checks on their clients just in case anything they wanted was a bit too politically extreme."

Chris took another gulp of water. NICOLE answered for him.

"Well sir, it's in my experience that money speaks louder than the voice of corporate guidelines on the best of occasions."

Andsworth nodded in agreement. If the buyer paid a large enough sum… bits of procedure were conveniently 'glossed over'.

Vennettilli sighed in satisfaction. "You didn't want me to come aboard to talk about mercenaries hired to protect me. You wanted to talk about Sally."

Gerome shifted in his seat. "You can come in now." He said into a communicator on the table. Chris tilted his head in confusion when Rouge the Bat walked into the conference room, decked up in an ONI skintight jumpsuit with pouches all over.

Chris actually stood up. It was so nice to see a friendly face. He resisted the temptation to go and hug her. He really felt like he needed a hug right now. "Hello Human." Rouge said with a smile. "Glad to see you in this neck of the woods again!"

"Mmm" Chris said with fingers curled at his lip. "Nice to see that ONI has swept up quite the hurricane while I was gone. I apparently destroyed a hospital ship."

Rouge looked at her feet, immedietely feeling guilty. "That was Section 2's work. I had no part of that."

Chris breathed deeply. "How many people have I 'killed' over the last month?"

Rouge bit her lip. He could tell that she was uncomfortable talking about this, but it was because propaganda was a nasty business. "Almost a thousand people."

Chris buried his face in his hands and groaned. "A thousand people…!"

"Men, women and children."

He groaned even louder. "You have any more good news to tell me? This special news about Sally. With the way our luck's been going, I wouldn't be surprised if she were arrested just because I had sex with her!"

Andsworth and Rouge looked at one another.

"I believe it's much worse than that, son." Andsworth replied.

"The Acorns are no longer in control of their Kingdom."

The glass Chris was holding dropped out of his hands and landed on the table with a **thump**.

"_What_?" NICOLE said, aghast.

"They've been removed as the leaders of the Kingdom of Acorn. They are now regents, which even includes Sally."

Chris' anger flared. His pulse skyrocketed, and just because this one fact filled his body with such fire, he slipped into Conditioned Awareness and slammed his fists onto the table. Cracks formed where his hands landed, and everything bounced, NICOLE included. Then he was back, feeing like when Zeus discovered Prometheus stealing fire. He wanted to punish and destroy.

"Sure, what's a few more dents in an already falling-apart ship?" Andsworth said as an aside. Rouge just stood there impassively, looking as if she were about to cry, almost.

"THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG!" Chris roared. "THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING TO HURT ANYONE! THAT KINGDOM MEANT EVERYTHING TO SALLY AND HER PARENTS!" He looked at the old man. "She would have done anything for her people. They viewed her as a hero. She was a symbol of hope against Robotnik's conquest.

_Oh my sweet Sally. Why did they do this to you? They had no reason for this_.

"Who gave the order to do that?"

"Three guesses." Rouge said, folding her arms.

NICOLE growled, "Can we aim the MAC cannon at Marshall's office?"

"We don't have a MAC cannon." The Admiral said in a slightly annoyed tone. "I know, I've looked over and over."

"And even if we really wanted to take down Marshall, there's nothing to prove that he was involved. All that we know is that the last president was murdered. That's all we know." Rouge said. "

"The guy's insane!" Chris said. "You know that! Rouge, you're in his inner circle! You can break the whole operation down!"

"I would be protesting against something that the public supports!"

"What?" Chris said, confused.

Andsworth said, "You know what the public thinks of you?"

"Considering that I am the murderer of children, I imagine not too highly."

The Admiral scoffed. "ONI's put bounties out on people who have been in contact with the Chaos Emeralds. Your name is at the top, with a very tempting figure, I might add. Of over seventy people on the list, 70 percent are dead."

Vennettilli said, "I hope neither of you decide to cash in. I haven't had a good run over the last month. With alien messages in my head, and the fact that I'm starting to hallucinate -?"

"You're hallucinating?" Andsworth asked. "About what?"

NICOLE cleared her throat. "I have had the 'pleasure' of witnessing some of the Captain's psychological episodes. He seems to be reliving traumatic events from his past, and quite frankly, his brain is getting tired of it. He's almost killed himself several times."

"Whoa now…" Chris said with palsm raised in defense. Admiral Andsworth's head snapped from the AI to the disgraced Marine with eyes wide open in shock.

"My God. You tried to commit suicide?"

"It wasn't my active decision!" He protested, starting to get the feeling that they were now really feeling uncomfortable. "My subconsious was trying to bring my body back into balance."

Rouge scoffed. "Bring your body back into balance by suicide."

"That's what I said!" Chris. "Soon I was inventing characters I had never seen in my life before, like…" His breath came short, and his mind opened up. He was gone again.

"Oh, no! Not again!" NICOLE said. "Admiral, we need to get him secure! There's no telling what he'll do now!"

Andsworth hit his communicator. "Security to the wardroom! Tell the infirmary to get a bed ready and setatives prepared for immediete use! Get in here now!"

Rouge ran over and tried to keep the shuddering man under control. "Can you hear me, Captain?"

"He can't." NICOLE said. "We just need to make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"Come on, Human! Wake up!"

* * *

The world was dark. It wasn't something that he remembered from his past. It was different, like a vault. He tried to move around, but his body wouldn't obey. He could see a light forming ahead of him.

"Hello?" He called out.

"Hello darling.

He squinted, barely able to see the shape of a women walking towards him , hair blowing in a sudden gust of air.

"Sally?"

"Oh, I wasn't sure you'd remember me!"

Chris almost laughed. "How could I forget you?"

"I think it would be because of the surgery you gave me!" She became visible, and he saw what she meant. A huge gash was in her chest shaped like twin energy wounds. Insteady of being cauterized like they should be, squirts of blood came from the gashes. Her face was dripping with blood. "Remember this? Remember putting a sword through my chest?" She grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

It caught Chris off guard. Sally was only 125 pounds. The fact that she was able to throw a nearly 200 pound man to the ground made him scared. He knew that he was a prisoner, and Sally was the abusive warden. Under other circumstances, he would have enjoyed this.

"I told you that I loved you! How could you just look me in the eye and slaughter me like an animal?"

"It was for your own good! I needed that information! It was because I loved you!"

She scratched his face. Blood leaked down his cheek.

"Look, I even have the ring on now!" She lifted her hand and he saw the golden band. "Will that make you care about me?"

"I ALWAYS cared about you!" Chris protested. He got to his feet shakily. "I always loved you!"

"Yeah?" Sally asked, "Then why did you leave me behind?"

"YOU TOLD ME TO LEAVE!"

But the projection of Sally wasn't having any of it. She reached behind her back and drew a knife nearly a foot long.

"Whoa.." Chris said, trying to back away.

"What's the matter, my sweet Human?" Sally asked, with a twitching smile. "Don't you trust me?"

"Sally, we can talk about this! Please, don't come at me with that thing!"

Then he was rooted to the spot.

"NO! SAL! NO!"

She whispered in his ear, "I'm only doing what's best for both of us." She reached back and plunged the knife in his chest.

* * *

Chris' body looked like it had a demon possessing it. His back arched, and he gasped with eyes wide open. It was clear that there was no interacting with him. The ship's doctor, a man named Herrald, ran to him with a syringe of a powerful sedative. Rouge was by his side. "What happened?" She asked, horrifyed.

"His synaptic functions are going insane. His heart rate's spiking well over 200 BPM. He's going to suffer hypertension… no wait.. heart rate is slowing rapidly!"

"What?"

"The man's heart is grinding to a halt! Someone find me some defib pannels!"

Rouge looked at Chris. His eyes were twitching as if he were in REM sleep. Rouge realized that if she could see into the young man's mind, she would know that whatever he was seeing was a nightmare.

* * *

Chris felt the blade pierce his flesh and tap bone. He howled as he grabbed the grip. Sally kissed him deeply as his lungs were filling with blood. He tried to yank the weapon out of his chest, but his hands were shaking too much, and Sally's lips were still pressed over his. The Human pried her off and tugged at the blade.

"Now we're alike, you and I." She giggled pointing at her chest wounds. "A mutual shower of blood is all we need."

"Why?" He asked. It was a gargling feeling that he never experienced before. He felt like he was drowning. In a sense, he was.

"I told you: I'm doing it to protect you! Someone has to take responsibility for your mind's safety."

"Not like this." He gasped. "Never like this!" His fingers were slick with his own blood, but he yanked the knife out of his chest, gasping as the serrated edge cut skin. He looked at it and realized that it was his Ontario Combat Knife, the same one he carried from Talahan. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and his hands stopped shaking. "This isn't real. You can't hurt me here. I need this data. Why don't you just fuck off and go back into the dark where you belong!"

Sally's eyes flared. With surprising speed, she grabbed the knife out of Chris' hands and plunged it through the side of his neck. The blade emerged on the other side, coated with blood. The Captain gasped in pain and felt the wounds, horrified as he could feel his own breath on the side of his neck. The pain was unimaginable. He sunk to his knees and tried to scream, but nothing came. Sally kicked him square in the face, knocking the poor man to the ground. He was dazed, in anguish, and had a knife sticking out of his neck, all inflicted by the woman he was engaged to. He shook violently.

In reality, Chris' heart rate slowed down considerably again, but his back arced and he made a shrill scream and clutched his head. Despite this, he still remained unconscious with eyes rolled up in his head.

* * *

"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT GODDAMNED DEFIB?" The doctor screamed, knocking aside one of the medical technicians. "If this man dies, Andsworth will have all of our asses!"

NICOLE's voice came over the loudspeakers, "You're supposed to be a trained medical team! This is a hospital! _QUIT FUCKING AROUND_!"

A medical technician with an ensign bar said back, "Yeah, well we got saddled with the worst ship in the fleet, and the worst gear around! I should know! I worked on the _Indomitable_!"

"_How could they do this to you_?" NICOLE asked.

"Because we stuck with the Admiral." the technician said. "I found them!" the young man pulled out a pair of shock paddles and rubbed them together to form electricity. "Here goes nothing." he said and placed them on the Marine's chest.

* * *

Chris was about to pull the knife out of his neck when Sally's form placed her boot on his hand, preventing him from moving. "No, you need to feel that!"

"I'm going to die in here if you don't help me!"

She crouched and looked into his eyes that were flickering quickly. "Well, if you die, you die. Look on the positive side: at least you won't have to carry that burdenful knowledge in your head anymore! Then you can spend your last minutes with me! We can make them last!" She tickled his chin. Chris would have found it sexy had he not been stabbed in the throat, and was showered in blood from both his chest and Sally's.

"You're just in my head. You're not real. I have a real fiancee to go back to. You're just a two bit shade of my subconscious. You're everything ugly and obsessive about the Sally I know. You can go back into the hole you came from and brood with the rest of my undesirable thoughts, skank." He was surprised he could make that in one breath, much less the fact that he hadn't passed out from pain, but then again he had already passed out in the first place.

Sally's shade looked at Christopher with unbridled murder in her eyes. She was now determined to go a step above and pull the knife through his throat, sealing the deal. She made the motion that may have gone to the knife hilt, but then the world lit up for a split second.

"What was that?"

Chris was confused too. "I don't know. This is your playground!"

The flash came again. Sally looked like she was weakened. "Stop it!"

"Stop what?" He was able to get to his feet and even pull the knife out of his throat. Blood leaked, but it didn't gush. He wondered if there was any more blood in this subconscious body of his.

"Stop the flashing! I don't like it!"

Once more the world lit up, and Sally disappeared. Chris got dizzy. The world began to spin, and the next thing he knew, he was gasping for breath on an operating table. He made a grab for his pistol and saw that his hands were restrained.

* * *

"Where am I?" he demanded.

"Blood pressure rising. Heart beat stabilizing. He's coming back."

"Am I still on Andsworth's ship?"

"_You're safe, Human_." NICOLE said to him. "_You're safe._"

A man in scrubs came up to him. "I'm Doctor Eberrett. We just saved your life son."

"I nearly died again?"

Doctor Ebberett's mouth twitched when he said 'again', but chose not to notice it. "You were on death's door. Your heart nearly stopped pumping. You were in cardiac arrest. Even the defibulators didn't work at first. God must really like you."

"I don't know about God, but I just had a battle with my own subsconscious. Can I get these cuffs off?"

"_With your subconscious? Care to explain, Human_?"

"I was actually 'inside' my own mind battling my subconscious. I'm not overlaying projections anymore - I'm going a step further with every incident."

"_Who was the person fighting you?_"

"Three guesses." Chris said, not really feeling like divulging that he was fighting Sally.

"_Ah... oh..._"

"Yeah, no kidding."

The door slid open and Andsworth walked into the room. "I came as soon as I heard. How are you feeling, son?"

"I'm OK, sir." Chris said. "I think they burned me with the paddles though."

Andsworth looked at the medical personnel, who looked slightly guilty. Then, the Admiral smiled. "Good work, gentlemen. You've saved our best chance for survival from an early grave. Captain, get dressed and walk with me."

It took him less than 2 minutes to get ready and he walked to the Admiral's quarters with him. NICOLE was already there, projected onto the desk via holo-lamps.

"What took you so long, boys?" The Lynx asked.

"Oh NICOLE." the old man said, "How I wish we had you with us on the _Indomitable_. You would have been quite a pilot given what I heard of your escape from ONI control."

"I would have been honored, sir." the AI bowed her head. "But with all due respect, I don't think it's right to get misty-eyed soo soon about the bygones of the past."

"Yes, I agree." He turned to Vennettilli, "Would you like a drink?"

Considering all that's happened up to this point, "Yeah, the strongest thing you have."

"Well, this is a surprise. You're in luck: I have a bottle of untapped Black Scotch. You look like you need a drink, as I'm sure you will agree." The Admiral retrieved the alcohol and poured generous measures of drink for the Captain who drank as if it was his last beverage.

"Have you recieved any intel on where your friends are?"

Chris shook his head. "Not a clue. Over the last couple of days, I don't think that we've had any other urge other than to get the hell off the _Romulus. _In all honesty, everything else was secondary."

NICOLE cut in, "Not to mention all of the databases aboard the _Romulus_ wouldn't have any indication of the whereabouts of Major Hera, Samantha Jackson, and Alan Roan."

"_Major_ Hera?" Andsworth said, interested.

"Yes sir." The AI nodded. "She's a Mobian Air Force officer and she was the first person that helped us on our journey."

Andsworth tapped his intercom to reach the bridge.

"_Bridge here. Go ahead, Admiral._"

"Steffan, I want you to run a search on Major..."

"Abigail." NICOLE added.

"Major Abigail Hera, Mobian Air Force."

"_Yes sir, Admiral. Give me a moment..._" There was silence over the COM. "_Sir, I'm not able to find any records of a Major Abigail Hera. I've looked in the Mobian Defense Network Database. I'm sorry_."

"It's alright, Steffan. Carry on." Andsworth clicked off his intercom and looked at the stunned Captain. "Well, that was unexpected."

"I... I don't understand..." He looked to NICOLE and then to Rouge. "She had to have been in the Air Force. She looked it, she walked it, she even talked it! Everything about her seemed so certain! She helped us get away!"

Rouge cleared her throat, "Have you considered the possibility that you were played? Maybe she wanted to isolate you and use you for her own purposes."

Chris' eyes were going wild. He was trying to make sense of everything. Oh who was he kidding, he could barely differentiate between reality and fantasy now. "She said..."

"People _say_ a lot of things, Captain." Andsworth said. "Some people are _really_ good at lying. You might have been convinced, dammit, NICOLE might have been convinced, but the facts are clear and search proves it. You've been decieved."

_No. No, no, not again! NOT AGAIN! Who's side was Hera on? Was she in with Marshall the whole time, or was she a Mobian rebel who wanted a Human trophy? Just who was that woman? I hadn't even asked about her service history at all! The Admiral's right. I was suckered_.

NICOLE was equally shocked. "She seemed solid."

Rouge sighed, "Not even you are totally impassable, NICOLE. Everyone can find a way to sneak past the toughest person."

"Does that mean that Roan and Jackson were plotting against me too?" Chris asked.

"No, they're legitimate." Andsworth said. "I've done business with Vanguard before. Roan and Jackson are indeed on the company's payroll and according to CEO Gustaff, they were indeed assigned to protect you. Unfortunately, I don't know who made the transaction, and Vanguard can't even follow the paper trail."

"So that means that Hera is the only loose end." Chris growled.

"Looks that way. We'll have to get in touch with Sally and learn more about..." NICOLE started. Then her eyes grew wide and she slapped her face. "Oooooh _shit_."

Chris didn't like it when NICOLE swore like that. "What? What happened?"

"The ship. We left the ship parked on Delta Halo."

It was like someone whipped a baseball bat in Chris' face. He slunk down in his seat and downed his cup. "They'll find it. They'll find it and we'll be in a world of shit. Oh no, Sal's been through so much already. She's not going to need this..."

* * *

Troy Marshall was enjoying a lovely day on Ceta Centauri. He was on the planet to make an appearance for dedication for a new university: the John LaFarge Institute of Interplanetary Knowledge, a multi-million dollar school for Centaurians. Troy had gone through regular presidential routine: He exited his craft amid smiling citizens, posed for many pictures, kissed a few babies, and made rousing comments on how lovely the weather was on Ceta Centauri. Centaurians _loved_ it when dignitaries commented on how great the weather was on that particular moon.

Currently, he was in a private suite overlooking the endless ocean of the planet. In the far distance, the blue sphere of Alpha Centauri II was visible, much like Luna was visible on Earth in the middle of the day. He sipped back an expensive vodka and let the sun shine on his skin. All was well here, and it was about to get even better for him. His communicator beeped. Marshall scowled. He hated being disturbed, especially when he was away on tropical destinations. He put down his glass and tapped the recieve command. A holoscreen appeared which showed a Hunter Commander with his helmet on. Marshall shivered slightly. True, he had ordered the damn things to be created, but that didn't mean that he was entirely comfortable about them. They gave him nightmares from time to time.

"Go ahead, Commander. It had better be important."

"_I think you would agree that it is, sir_."

Marshall could sense the excitement in the Hunter's voice. In the background, Marshall could hear the screeches of Stalkers in their cages. "OK, report."

"_We were just investigating the last known location of the _Romulus_, the ship the criminal was last seen around. It's likely that he stowed away and was able to get to Earth_."

Marshall scowled. _God damn it!_ "OK... then what?"

"_We don't know much else. We were able to find the point _Romulus_ jumped in around Earth and were able to find a lifeboat just floating around. The registry signssay that it was a lifeboat from that ship._"

"Was Vennettilli aboard it?"

"_We searched it. The back hatch was blown. I think he may have spaced himself_."

"No, that's not what I expect from this man. He wouldn't kill himself. He clearly had a way out and he took it. The problem is we need to figure out where he went exactly." Marshall let his mind wander, the intelligent cogs whirling within his skull. "Are you near the lifeboat?"

"_We're in the Alpha Centauri system for clear signal broadcast_."

"Well does your team _have_ the lifeboat?"

"_We tagged it_."

"Alright fair enough. I want a team to look through the computer and check to see if it docked with any ships. Find the ship and seize it. If Vennettilli's aboard, grab him and bring him to me. I want him breathing."

"_Yes sir. What about the crew of the ship_?"

"Under Military Martime Law, they would be harboring a fugitive and shall be dealt with accordingly. Make sure they get the message."

"_Understood sir_."

Marshall half-smiled. In the wake of all the collosal failures that have occured up until this point, things were going pretty well. All he needed right now was a pretty bow on top of this present.

"_Mr. President, we have one more thing._"

Marshall whipped around, giddy with anticipation. "Yes?"

"_After we cleared out the Library on Installation 05, we were able to find a pretty piece of metal parked not too far away from the Gondola Stations. Looks like a military vessel, the _Emerald Fox_._"

Marshall's face split into a smile.

_Oh yeah, baby!_

"And...?"

"_My boys scanned the ship's memory. Turns out, the Captain's been in constant contact with her highness Sally Alicia Acorn, and one of your agents, only known as Rouge. They've been sharing little tidbits of information every now and again. Would you like the message copies sent to you_?"

"Now."

_"Right away, sir_"

Marshall could barely contain his excitement. He had them. He had the evidence to link the Kingdom of Acorn to aiding a criminal runaway. Troy Marshall felt like a kid on Christmas Day. He audibly laughed as he got the information on his databanks. First and foremost he would have the traitorous agent shot right in front of him. As for Sally Acorn... _oh ho ho..._

He tapped his intercom. "_TUDYK!_"

The assistant shivered over the COM. "_Yes, sir?_"

"Bring me Her Highness, the Princess at your earliest convenience. Let her know that it's a very urgent matter that we need to discuss involving... several conflicting parties."


	22. Chapter 22: Pawn Takes Queen

Chapter 22: Pawn to Take Queen  
June 7th, 3239, 1142 hours  
Knothole, Mobius

It was mid-afternoon in the city. The warm air was blowing from across the land as the sun climbed into the sky. From well beyond the castle, the city was starting to enter the height of its daily activity. People were going out for lunch, commuting to afternoon jobs, and generally just enjoying their day, although the whispers of what they have been hearing in the news made one look suspiciously at the other. Mobians looked upon their Human neighbors and started to question. A single man had changed society in this city, and caused friendships to be doubted, and relationships to be broken.

All in all, it seemed that Humans might not be so welcome here anymore. Things were picking up, and very recently, a Human fringe magazine blamed the destruction of the hospital ship on a Mobian extremist group.

Sally did not like how things went in the last couple of weeks. Now that she was a regent, she didn't have the same amount of power as before within her kingdom. True, if her parents called, the people would listen, but the fact that Max and Alicia now had to answer to Troy Marshall was more than she could bear. For three days, she did not eat and barely slept. It concerned her parents greatly. Max and Alicia did everything they could for their daughter, but it was clear that nothing they were doing helped. So, they decided to have a friend help her out.

Bunnie knocked on Sally's door. She went towards the heavy wooden portal and cracked it open.

"Yes?" She said, hoarsely.

"Sally-babe? I heard you weren't doing so well."

Sally smiled and opened the door further. Bunnie stood before her wearing a sorry look. "Your parents told me about what happened. You're not eating or sleeping."

Sally was surprised with how scratchy her voice was. "I'm just not feeling so good."

"You aren't sick, are you?"Bunnie asked.

"No. I'm not sick. I just feel empty. Come sit down over here." Sally walked to her bed and sat down on the side. Bunnie followed her and took a seat next to her best friend. "It's just… I don't know what to do. Everything seems like it's falling apart. The questions, the conspiracies, the kingdom going to… THAT MONSTER!"

"Sally, calm down!" Bunnie said with a bit more force. "You are a strong young woman. You should not be acting like this!"

"But… I've lost everything!"

"That's bullshit, and you know it!" the rabbit said, stamping her metal boot as a form of emphasis. "You will always have us, and we won't let this kingdom go. Your parents are the rightful rulers, and they deserve to rule as King and Queen."

Sally cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "You know, I still can't bring myself to hate them."

"Hate who?"

"The Humans. I feel like I should be thinking that they're monsters… but I realize that they're being played just as our people are too."

"I stay out of politics personally, shugah." Bunnie said. "There's no reason to hate a whole race because of one person." She looked at the Princess and said, "If we all that like that, you and I wouldn't be sitting here talking!"

Sally nodded. She didn't hate the Humans but she sure as hell was starting to downright despise Marshall for all he did. Bunnie, I never really talked with anybody about this before, but I think something awful is happening right under our noses."

"I have a funny feeling about who."

"You remember those 'interviews' we all had?"

"Yeah. They asked me questions about my prosthetics, Sal."

"When they brought me in, they asked me questions that… didn't seem right." She recalled the questions about her possibly smuggling data. "Now, when we look at them one at a time, it doesn't seem so bad, but when you look at all the interviews together…"

"They're studying us!" Bunnie said, now understanding. "They're figuring out our strengths and resources! You don't think that… that… those evil Humans will try to get rid of us, will they?"

Sally got up and started to pace around her bedroom. She looked at her best friend. "We have nothing to support that. You know it and I know it that Marshall has something terrible up his sleeve, but if we want to get proof of his involvement, we're going to need something a little more powerful than what we found out."

"Well, what will we need? I thought that this seemed like enough."

"To you and me, perhaps." The Princess said. "In a court though, this will have no weight. We need solid evidence."

"I think you and I know someone who can help us with that, Sally-girl."

Rouge. She knew the ins and outs to government agencies. If anyone could get them the proof they needed to back up their claims, she could. Combined with the willingness to testify from the rest of the Freedom Fighters… Marshall could be staring out from a cell within a matter of weeks. Of course, the last piece of the puzzle was Chris. What was the Cipher, and what was its importance to Marshall? Just what was he going to find?

Of course, Sally knew well enough that she wasn't going to know any time soon. She was sure that after his last message a few weeks back, the Human was now going off the grid until this whole thing was over. So, Rouge was still their best and readily available option.

So, Sally nodded. "OK. Let's head to Ops and give her a call.

Before they were able to leave the room, her COM system beeped. Sally decided to take the call, very quickly. She strode to the computer and tapped the ANSWER button.

"Hello?"

"_Sal, it's me._" She recognized the tone.

"Sonic, what's up?"

"_I heard you weren't feeling very well_."

"I'm fine…" But just as she said this, her stomach lurched. She felt dizzy but still managed to hold on.

"Sal!" Bunnie said, noticing the motion. "Are you alright?"

"Just an ear infection. I'll be fine." She responded.

"Are you sure?" The Mobian rabbit asked.

"Yeah! Stop asking me about it!"

Bunnie raised her hands in defense and backed off.

Sonic continued. "_Still, I'd like to see you, Sal. Something isn't right and you're taking a beating in your head_."

_Man has he got it right_, the Princess thought.

"You'd like to meet somewhere?"

"_Yeah. Alone, actually_."

"… I'll see what I can do." Sally said, after a brief pause."

"_Cool. I'll be waiting for you in the gardens. Near the Alliance Dedication Statue_."

"I'll be there in an hour…"

"_No, this can't wait. Right away!_"

That made her even more suspicious. "Alright."

With that, the channel went dead. Sally Acorn turned to Bunnie with a perplexed look on her face. "That didn't sound right."

"Are you still going, shugah?"

"Yeah, but not alone. Can you shadow me?"

"You think something is wrong?"

"I sure do. Should I take a gun?"

"What for?" Bunnie asked.

"Just a feeling. Never mind, I'll go unarmed."

Bunnie clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, shugah. I've got your back."

* * *

Meeting someone alone in the middle of the daylight was something much easier said than done. The castle was usually alive with activity at midday. Usually there were dignitaries from other races and cultures, tours of the public areas, citizens come to make requests of the king or queen while court was open, and an odd patrol of Marines going to and from barracks.

Today was no exception, only there was an Army detachment from Alluvia, a Human colony in their universe that orbited some star with an Arabic name. They were in uniform serving as relief guards and were just as solemn. She moved past them with Bunnie and they only stared briefly, some of them never seeing Mobians before. She looked at them with distrust though. Something that had grown ever since this whole affair began.

Bunnie and Sally exited into the gardens which were vast, expansive regions of the grounds that held trees, flower gardens, monuments, and even a relaxing pond area where visitors could go, feed the birds or ducks, and sit down.

Bunnie decided that this was a good time to fall back and start keeping an eye on the Princess. She did not take to the skies though. That would seem odd. Instead, she made it seem like she was walking in another direction while still keeping an eye on Sally. She tried her best to remain hidden while she walked towards the dedication monument.

This was the second time that she went to this great statue within two months. The first time was when she went she met Admiral Andsworth unexpectedly, but that was under more favorable conditions. She looked upon the laser-carved faces of the soldiers and shivered slightly. Something about their unseeing eyes looking out over the horizon always got her. Sally looked around for Sonic, and eventually saw him around the southern edge of the statue. She called out to him, "Sonic!"

The hedgehog noticed Sally and waved to her. He didn't seem very lively. Perhaps he too was taking this whole ordeal pretty hard. When she reached Sonic, the hedgehog gave her a big hug. "How are you?" he asked.

"I've been better. What did you want to speak to me about?"

"Sally… I'm so sorry."

"Sonic, for what? What happened?"

"Please forgive me."

Sally heard the rustling of the leaves behind her, but only saw a shimmer too late. Before she knew it, a golden visor appeared out of nowhere. Within half a second, a suit of armor almost seven feet high melted into existence. Three identical Spartans came in behind her. When she whipped around, four suits of MJOLNOR power armor surrounded her.

"Just try to remain calm, your highness." One of the Spartans, a Senior Petty Officer, said.

"You lured me here." Sally concluded at once. "How did they catch you?"

"We have our ways." Another one said. She was not sure who. "Now get down on your knees and put your hands on your head. You are under arrest."

"WHAT?" Sally cried. "ARRESTED FOR WHAT?"

"For high treason, conversing with a fugitive at large, and smuggling information."

"WHAT? YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"

"We were _authorized_ to detain you."

"I'LL SEE YOU ALL COURT MARTIALED!"

"You're not getting away from us. You will be detained, and shipped to a secure location for interrogation and after, you will be tried."

"SALLY! SALLY!" the princess heard. Bunnie burst from the bushes. "THERE ARE…!" She saw the armored soldiers. At once, she panicked and began to take off.

"Get her." The SPO said. A Petty Officer Second Class whipped out a stun gun, loaded a high shock dart into it, and fired it after the fleeing Mobian. With expert precision, the stun dart hit Bunnie in midflight in the small of her back. She seemed to jolt in mid-air and fell to the earth. "Justin, secure her."

"Aye-aye." The Spartan said and ran to collect the fallen Mobian, camouflaging while doing so. He returned thirty second later with Bunnie unconscious over his shoulder. He laid her at his feet. She was still very much alive, but a deep cut on her head trickled blood over her eyelid. She twitched as electricity jolted to her hands and feet.

"You're nothing but a bunch of Human bullies!"

Justin twitched. "You're a traitor!" he whipped off his helmet, making Sally gasp. Justin was a Mobian. He was a Chipmunk just like her. He had patterns just below his eyes, had 'shaved' hair, and angry wide eyes. "I thought the Freedom Fighters were heroes! I worshiped you, and this is how you repay us!"

She thought that she could connect to a kinsman the best. "Please… believe me! I'm not a traitor! I'm not a bad person! I would never…"

"There's no point in arguing. The evidence was already discovered." The Senior Petty Officer said.

She shivered. "Evidence?"

"ONI agents have discovered the ship used to house the criminal we seek. There were detailed messages between you and him."

She realized the severity of her error in communicating with Chris in the first place. They had evidence that she did indeed communicate with him, but she never sent any information to anybody!

"How do I know you aren't bluffing?"

"Agents reportedly found the ship abandoned on Installation 05 with its data banks fully intact. Agents also reported that they captured Captain Vennettilli and are now interrogating him."

Her heart sank. She didn't have anywhere else to back into. A seed of doubt was planted within her. Did _Chris_ say something that would have sent Spartans after her? Did he betray her? Did the man she intended to marry sell her out? She realized that she didn't know anything, and there was nothing she could do. There was nothing to proclaim her innocence, so all she could do was look at the ground and remain silent.

"We are authorized to interpret your silence as an admission of guilt. Please accompany us at once." The Senior Petty Officer said.

"NOW!" Justin the Mobian shouted.

She also realized the final nail in the coffin was the fact that she was a regent now and reported to President Marshall. There was nothing she could do. It was over for her.

She felt the butt of a rifle against her head, probably from the enraged Mobian. She fell in slow motion, recoiling from the gunmetal striking against her flesh. A ribbon of blood came from her nose as she crashed into the grass. A single sniffle escaped her as she drifted into unconsciousness.

Somewhere, President Troy Marshall was smiling.

Sally Acorn lay prone on the grass, facedown. Justin the Mobian looked at her with a form of contempt. "I TRUSTED YOU!" He turned to Sonic. "You were my HEROES!"

Sonic looked at the enraged young man. "I'm sorry." He simply said. "Really. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I really don't. Everything… everything is just so wrong."

"Damn right it is." Another Spartan said. "Now, we have two unconscious prisoners. You want to make the third?"

Sonic was crushed. Everything was being taken away. Humans were against them, their own people were against them, and it wouldn't be long before the other races of the universe would look upon the best of the Mobians with contempt. Sonic sighed sadly, got down on his knees, and held his hands forward.

"Cuff me."

The Senior Petty Officer walked up, retrieved a pair of wrist and leg cuffs to put around the hedgehog's limbs. When he clicked the last one in place, he removed his helmet and looked Sonic in the eye. Sonic likewise made eye contact. The Senior Petty Officer's eyes were deep brown, his face was lined with stress wrinkles, but he wore an expression of curiosity.

"I know who you are. Why didn't you run?"

Sonic gazed at the Human with sad eyes. "Where would I go?"

For a moment, a mutual understanding was reached between the two men. For a moment, just a small moment, the Spartan felt bad for the Mobian in front of him. Then, he replaced his helmet, polarized the visor and said, "Come on, let's go. You don't need to be hurt any more than you are now."

Sonic nodded in defeat, and followed the Spartans away from the gardens. Justin draped Bunnie over his shoulder, and the two remaining soldiers made sure to drag Sally away by the hands.

* * *

When the Princess came to, she was within a transport of some sort. She couldn't recognize it. There were no portholes, no labels, and there were only the unmasked Spartans in front of her.

"Where are my friends?" She asked groggily.

"They're alive." The Senior Petty Officer said. "You're on your way to say hello to a friend."

"Your boss, Marshall, right?"

"Not exactly. It was Mr. Tudyk that called for your apprehension."

Sally placed her head against the hull. "Tudyk's just a crony. You know it and I know it. The only reason he's asking you to bring me to him is because Marshall doesn't want to get himself involved. He's already involved more than you know."

It didn't work. The Spartans were beyond simple intimidation, and it showed. They weren't scared. They were _amused_ at her attempts to unnerve them.

"Is that all you have?" The SPO asked.

"I'm telling the truth! I have evidence to incriminate Marshall for plotting against the Mobian peoples!"

Again, another miss. "The evidence seems more highly stacked against you: You were conversing with a mass murderer, gave him shelter while we were looking for him, sharing secrets, and not only that, your companions are of note." He drew a datapad from a pouch, unfolded it, selected a file and read aloud. "You keep interesting company, your highness: A rambunctious man (your ex-boyfriend) who is known to have strong feelings against Human beings in general, and a disregard for authority figures, a technological genius who has on occasion developed offensive and defensive means for the Freedom Fighters, a heavily armed cyborg, a gunsmith with multiple contacts outside of UEG jurisdiction, and no less than THREE active UNSC servicemen, which includes your guilty lover."

He tapped the datapad on his hand with a pursed lip that said '_Hmm… you've been a naught girl…'_, and almost said this word for word: "You've been a busy Princess, haven't you? Is this your way of starting a revolution or something? Perhaps you're ready to start your own tyrannical leadership."

Sally growled angrily. "It's clear that I'm not going to change your mind, so why don't you just take me to Tudyk already and get it over with."

"Hold on…" The SPO said. "There's someone else that was feeding you information: an ONI Section 0 agent, Rouge the Bat."

Great, now her last lifeline was about to be snapped.

"Getting a spook to feed information to a fugitive is no small task, I congratulate you on that, but when you get a Section _Zero_ agent to do that for you? I almost _envy_ your planning skills."

"Well, you seem to have found everyone that's been part of my little 'revolution'. Shouldn't I be up against a wall now?"

"We don't have her yet." Another Spartan said out of turn.

"Check on the others, _now_." The Petty Officer said.

It was clear that the Spartan let something out that he shouldn't have, and he wore a guilty expression on his face. The soldier bit his lip, turned on the spot, and walked out of the room. The Commanding Officer walked towards Sally, grabbed her soldier, and placed a micro-injector on her neck. The needles poked into her skin, delivered a sedative, and within ten seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

Andsworth led the Captain into the armory. Chris was now clean-shaven, freshly showered, and above all, had eaten as much as he could. The Admiral thought that the young man deserved it. Chris stroked his chin and kind of missed the beard that he had. Nevertheless, he was ready to proceed with business.

"What's this? I thought this was an armory, not a broom closet."

"I'm sorry if I can't measure up to the grandeur that the _Indomitable_ had for you. I'm not exactly working on a very large budget."

The Captain fastened a crew cap onto his head and tapped a weapons locker. The door slid open and a rack of rifles appeared. He whistled.

"Gotcha." Andsworth smiled. He clapped the young man's shoulder. "I may not have quantity, but I sure as hell have quality. I've called in a few favors from a few friends I know, and I've stocked the fridge. This beauty…" He grabbed a rifle with a folding stock, "…is straight from the Sagittarius Arm. This is the _only_ weapons manufacturer there. Thirty round magazine splintering rounds standard… holographic interface/sight."

Chris looked over the weapon. He held it in his hands, appreciating the weight of the gun and yanking back on the charging hammer. He nodded and smiled. "It's nice. Kind of feels good to hold a modern weapon in my hand again other than a pistol. But…" He placed the weapon back on the rack. "The rear sight is too obstructive. If I'm at range, I want to keep my peripherals open.

"Spoken like a true Marine. Keep your eyes open for easy ass-kicking. Alright then, take a look at this." The Admiral grabbed a different gun off of the rack. "_This_… is new. This is a Remington X-39 Narada. Sixty round coffin magazine, 900 rounds per minute, and take a look at this: Integrated scope but with a fully variable electronic zoom. At Zoom Zero, you essentially have a red dot sight. Zoom level goes up to 3x magnification. Hold it."

Chris grabbed the rifle. It was perfect. He couldn't find anything wrong with it. The magazine was well within arm's reach, and the scope seemed to satisfy every combat situation he could think of. He placed the gun against his cheek and gazed down the sight, lining up the red dot with the front nubs on the gun. He yanked the handle on the left side of the gun and reveled in its greatness. With a pull of the trigger, the gun clicked, and was rendered a safe piece of metal and plastic.

"I'll take it."

"Of course you will." The old man said. "And naturally you will need a sidearm."

Chris grunted in agreement. He tapped another locker across from the long arm lockers. That one slid out revealing multiple pistols and SMGs. He gazed over it and frowned slightly. "Aw, you don't have it."

"I apologize, Captain. I know that your taste in handguns is rather… nostalgia or even prehistoric if I may, but I'm sure that other pieces can catch your attention."

Right away, Chris grabbed a service pistol. Misriah armories still had a monopoly on defense contracts, and the MK-6A was a damn fine gun. He twirled the weapon in his fingers and placed it in his holster. He made no other choice. "I think I'm fine with these."

NICOLE came over the intercom. "If you're done window-shopping gentlemen, I assume we can make up a plan in the ward room?"

"Yes, NICOLE. We're on our way." Andsworth said. Chris held on to his new gear and followed the Admiral down the hall.

* * *

Everyone took a seat at the table. Along with Andsworth, Rouge, Chris, and the hologram of NICOLE, a fourth man joined them. It was the XO of the ship, Jubil Xander, a man from a world that Chris could not pick out. He sat with the Admiral and treated Chris with utmost respect.

"The Admiral has told the crew a lot about you, Captain."

"Are you another idealist like the Admiral, Xander?"

"No sir. I was already serving on the _Burro_ before the Admiral came aboard."

Andsworth said, "I was forbidden to take on any crew members from the _Indomitable_."

NICOLE cleared her throat, "Alright gentlemen. We're ready to review what we know based on what we've learned from the beginning: President LaFarge was indeed murdered based on Flight Recorder data on the subject. We know that the Royals of Acorn were lowered down to regents or stewards while the UEG has absolute control over the kingdom. We also know that the government has gone out of their way to either eliminate or capture any personnel that has been in contact with the Chaos Emeralds. Of almost two hundred personnel that have been within contact, one hundred and forty three have been terminated. The remaining fifty seven are either still being hunted or are missing."

Chris pointed out, "The only thing is that we have nothing that links Marshall towards the death of President LaFarge. We _know _that there is, but we need to prove it. I personally suggest a direct approach."

"I'm afraid it has come to that." Andsworth said. "Marshall has stepped too far and has made a move against an Alliance race. Why? We don't know why."

"All things considered," Rouge said, "aside from the murder of President LaFarge, nothing that Marshall has done was illegal. Both of his decisions were ratified and passed. Sure, questions were asked, but the answers they got were satisfactory."

Chris mulled this over. "So we can't get him for overthrowing the Kingdom of Acorn."

"Technically no, we can't. However, if we can get more solid proof that Marshall was the one who gave the order to kill LaFarge, we can add that to a list of crimes that grow from the minute LaFarge died."

The Captain nodded. "I like it. Finally I get a bit of payback. We march in, wring a confession, and then lock him up."

"Easy, son." Andsworth said. "It's not that simple just yet. We need to find your friends. Doubtless they are being held in some government building."

"That raises an interesting question." Xander said. "How do we know that they're on Earth?"

"Good thinking, Lieutenant Xander." NICOLE said. "He has an excellent point: How do we know that Roan, Jackson, or Hera are on Earth?"

"I'm only interested in Jackson and Roan." Chris said bitterly. The rest of the people sitting at the table looked at the young man with concerned eyes. Chris had suddenly taken the mysterious nature of Abigail Hera – if that even was her name – to heart and treated her as much of an enemy as Marshall was. "But even then, I have no idea where to start looking."

Andsworth thought it over in his seat. "Mercs are controlled by a larger company. Vanguard may keep tabs on their agents."

"You mean like tracking devices?" NICOLE asked.

"They might. I don't know if they're subdermal, neural, or a device they keep on them at all times, but it's the best bet we have for finding them."

"Sir, have you considered the possibility that they may have had the implants removed upon being captured?" Lieutenant Xander asked.

"I agree, it is a possibility." Rouge concluded.

"So, what's stopping us from calling Vanguard up and confirming this anyway? One way or another we get a step closer to finding them." Chris said, leaving back in his seat. They decided to go with the plan because it was better than nothing. Even if the implants were removed, they would probably be analyzed to figure out just who hired the mercs, giving them a location either way. If there weren't any implants, the Admiral or Rouge would have to call in a few favors.

* * *

Andsworth returned to the bridge and sat in his command chair. He gazed out of the forward windshield over the horizon of Earth. He liked having the curve o the horizon below him. He was kind of OCD that way. It seemed odd having the planet "above" or beside you. The Admiral tapped a communications panel on his left armrest and fastened his ship cap on his head. His uniform wasn't like one on the _Indomitable_. Here he was dressed not much different than the crewmen. He was fairly comfortable in the khaki uniform that he wore. Gerome always kept his ribbons perfectly straight and ordered, and every single button polished. However it was the headgear that got his goat. His official naval cap was replaced by the ball cap that many officers wore while on duty. It was hard to be a proud officer when the name _Burro_ stood out on his head for all to see whenever someone made a call. He was a laughingstock of the Admiralty.

He swallowed his pride and keyed in the address. This was a direct line to CEO Gustaff of Vanguard Private Security Corporation – the lavishly named private army that Samantha Jackson and Allen Roan belonged to. As he entered the number, he noticed that he didn't even know Gustaff's first name… or if it was his first name and his last name was unknown. It seemed that everyone in this organization was shady one way or another. At least they offered quality service.

The FTL Radio spun up. Andsworth was unaware of how it worked, but it had to use Slipspace to send data, which had no mass, unlike the ships that went through the void. Thus, it went a _lot_ quicker. Within seconds, the viewscreen ahead of him showed a man sitting in an office looking over a file.

"_Can I help you_?" Gustaff asked.

"Mr. Gustaff… my name is Admiral Gerome Andsworth, UNSC Navy."

"_Oh, an Admiral. I've received many calls from sailors before, but never from someone of your rank. How can I help you, Admiral?_"

"I'm calling on behalf of one of my men that two of your Lone Wolves were sent to protect."

Gustaff leaned back in his chair for a second, trying to remember. He snapped his fingers. "_Oh yes! Those would by two of my Lone Wolves. Now, due to the contract that was made, I cannot reveal their names…_"

"Miss Samantha Jackson and Mr. Allen Roan."

"_Ah…_" Gustaff said, slightly surprised. "_You know of them_."

"Their charge is aboard my ship."

"_The _Burro… _doesn't that mean _'donkey'_ in Spanish?_"

Andsworth blushed. "No… no, it's a different language. Anyway, that's not the reason I'm calling."

"_I would assume._" Gustaff said with a chuckle.

"Roan and Jackson have gone missing. I would guess that they were captured by our military."

Gustaff sighed. "_So, let me get this straight: you are asking me about my forces, which you've apprehended? Are you looking for information? You could have just asked them yourself_!"

"You misunderstand me, sir." Gerome said in defense. "We're not exactly with the people who apprehended these two mercenaries of yours. We want to find them."

Gustaff now seemed intrigued, and Andsworth saw it. "_Interesting. Why would you assume that I know anything about it_?"

"You don't keep tabs on your most important agents?"

"_I… _might_ have some way of tracking them_."

Uh-oh. He said the 'M' word. The word 'might' was almost always followed by a form of transaction. Usually the person opposite would need to pay some form of money or favor. Andsworth was street smart when it came to transactions like this.

"OK." He said with a sigh. "What do you want?"

"_It's not what I want. It's what my company wants. Recently Vanguard has come under scrutiny from the current government. Apparently someone does not like the business we do, and have spread nasty rumors about the people we do business with who may think that the death of our last president was not exactly an accident._"

"Is that so?" Andsworth said, folding his arms.

"_They're just rumors though, of course._"

"And you want me to do something about it?"

"_Well, you being an Admiral and all, and a former member of the Admiralty board…_"

"Now where did you hear that? We only began talking a few minutes ago!"

"_Intelligence comes naturally to me as water from a spring_." Gustaff smiled. "_Can you dispel these nasty rumors for us_?"

Now came the hard part: "That's not something I can do so easily."

"_Hmm… well that poses a problem then…_ _it seems you can't post the small blind, if you catch my drift_."

"First of all, the game is, of course, _Texas_ Hold 'Em, y'hear? Secondly, think of this as an investment. I know that those two people were hired to protect Vennettilli, and I know it wasn't cheap. I know that the client was anonymous and that you haven't been able to trace the payments despite a background check. I can only assume that the price was right and you knew the stakes were high. You know the stakes are high right now, Gustaff. People can make us disappear in a matter of hours. Have a little faith in my people, huh?"

As a man who knew how to weigh the odds, Gustaff thought about it, made a nod, and said, "_OK. Consider it an investment made. You're right, you know. I do know the stakes are high, and right now my people are being held in a prison somewhere not doing their jobs, which means no money for the company. Just let me pull up a few records…_"

Andsworth gave a silent cheer but smiled behind his mustache as several of the bridge crew looked on in admiration. He liked it. Even though he was degraded down to this rust-bucket, his wit and cunning could never be dulled.

"_Alright. Now, as you may have cleverly deduced, Admiral, Lone Wolves are a cut above the rest. Lots of money goes into them and thus… I like to make sure Vanguard's property is well taken care of. Vanguard Lone Wolves do indeed carry multiple tracking devices._"

"Multiple? How many are we talking about, here?"

"_No less than ten per Lone Wolf_."

"Ten? That's overkill, isn't it, Mr. Gustaff?"

"_Like I said, Vanguard's property is precious to me. This is the mother of all redundancy systems: tracking devices in their blood stream, a couple small ones in their skin, tooth enamel, clothing, and even a couple more that I am not at liberty to discuss; you know how it is_."

"Yes, I can get the idea."

"_Anyway, this was intended to make sure that even if a couple were removed, it would be statistically very unlikely that the agent would totally wink off the map. We would always have some way to find them… and I have a location!_"

"You're using real-time feeds?"

"_And a fortune they cost, Admiral! They're on Earth, just as you would have suspected. According to this… they are located approximately five hundred meters underground… just forty miles from central Shinjuku in Japan_."

"Japan?"

"_You got me. I guess ONI wants a more cultural experience. According to the readings though, the tracking devices are within a radius of about three hundred of one another, meaning that a few of them were already separated. I would understand that_."

"OK. All I need are the coordinates."

"_Remember, we have an investment!_"

Andsworth sighed, "I promise. If we come out of this alive, I will do all this and more. Your organization will be the messiah of PMCs across Human Space."

"_Hmm… A Private Sector Messiah… I could learn to like that. Very well Admiral, the location is on the way now. Oh, and remember, until this whole thing blows over… this conversation never happened._"

"Agreed. Until after the storm."

"_When the sun breaks_." With that, Gustaff killed the channel.

Andsworth sat quietly on the bridge while the officers around him made sparing glances at him. They were impressed by his quickness in the situation. Andsworth knew that he didn't have to worry about moles, but he said it anyway.

"If I learn that anyone has leaked this conversation to anybody off this ship, I will personally take a hot iron and brand you traitors Texas-style. _Then_ I will kill you."

A few nervous laughs escaped the men, which turned into awkward coughs, and then silence.

* * *

"Why _Japan_ of all places?" Chris asked, dumbfounded. "Japan… who puts a secret hideout in Japan? There are nearly 2 billion people on that island! The population density is so thick you can light a match at a party just by holding it in front of you!"

He was suiting up for his trip to the surface. It would be the first time in months that he would have been on Earth, and this time, it was business, not pleasure. The _Burro_ didn't have any dropships because of the small size of the vessel. So, it stood to reason that they needed another way to get to the surface, which brought up the question as to how Rouge got to the _Burro_ in the first place.

She had a ship herself: a beautiful thing she liked to call the _Black Bat_. It was an initiation present from ONI when she joined the ranks of the spooks. It was a small craft, barely anything larger than a yacht but still enough for an agent to operate from. It was as matte black as the space around it, with a few pink stripes painted on the port and starboard sides of the hull. And there, written right on the top in beautiful calligraphy and brightly lit, was the name of the ship itself.

Rouge offered to take them down on it because it had atmospheric capability. Chris agreed, and two other Marines aboard the _Burro _accompanied him. As they were ready securing their equipment, Chris commented further on their destination.

"You know that one city wasn't enough for them? They had to build a city _on top of a city_! I don't mean figuratively, I mean they literally put a ground on top of the highest skyscrapers and started all over."

One of the Marines, a dark-skinned man named Reyes said, "I thought you were from New York. Doesn't that place have a lot of people too?"

"The difference, Reyes, is that I can still see the sky from street level!"

The other man, Konstantinos, smiled. "Then you'll love it in Athens! Nothing above 80 stories."

Chris was calmed by the casual talk and said, "I'm so glad to be able to look at Marines with trust again."

"Sir, we were put here because we thought something was wrong with the world, you know?" Konstantinos said.

"Marshall screwed us like he screwed you." Reyes noted. "Of course, to a lesser degree. They say you blew up schools now."

Chris hung his head backwards. "Oh come _ON!_"

"That's what I said." Reyes coughed. "Personally it sounded like bullshit after the hospital ship incident."

Rouge popped her head out of the airlock. "I hate to be a pusher handsome, but we don't have all the time in the world."

Chris nodded. He checked his weapons and armor. They all showed green. "Alright Marines, let's roll. We have people to save."

Reyes and Konstantinos gave an 'Oorah' and followed him into the _Black Bat_. Chris tapped the device on his belt. "You alright, NICOLE?"

"_Not bad. The ship is pretty neat. I can't quite make out the class… Maybe it's unique._" The AI then said, "_I'm also picking up another AI signal from inside this craft. Doubtless that Rouge has an AI to help with steering and flight. There's no way one person could fly all this on their own_."

"Just don't try to take the wheel and we should be alright."

"_Roger, sir_."

The ship was only one deck. The pilot sat aft in a command center of a sort that seemed more like a cockpit than a bridge. There were a few windows scattered about but they weren't very big. A computer dominated one wall where Chris assumed that Rouge got her data (and perhaps news of treasures scattered about), and of course, there was a lavish living room near the front with a satin sheet bed. Rouge really knew a good interior designer. On the one hand it was a spy's dream boat, and on the other, it was the pad of a sexy treasure huntress - the unusual yet harmonious dichotomy.

The Marines sat down near the airlock. Rouge was near the back in a pilot's seat. She fastened a flight mask over her face and was ready to go. "I'm disengaging the docking clamps." She announced. The tiny ship pushed away from the _Burro_ and gave a tiny burst from the thrusters. Chris was weightless for a moment as the simulated gravity did not kick in. Rouge whipped the _Black Bat_ around and put power to the engines.

"Athena, I'm going to need you to find us a suitable landing area!"

"_Of course, Rouge. Can you please specify a region?_" This was obviously Rouge's navigational/servant AI. She sounded like a Dumb model.

"Lower Shinjuku, at these coordinates." She entered the location where CEO Gustaff indicated.

"_Analyzing… I have found a suitable place to land, but I do not think that this is legal." _

"Oh, don't worry. We're only going in and out, you and I." She winked to the Marines sitting near the airlock and rocketed them towards Earth.


	23. Chapter 23: Thick and Thin

Chapter 23: Though Thick and Thin  
June 9th, 3239, 0911 hours  
Earth  
En route to Shinjuku District, Japan

The _Black Bat _sure felt like it was a civilian model. These ships were designed for absolute comfort while allowing a vast amount of maneuverability. While ships like these were indeed rare, they offered some of the best rides in the world. Rouge guided her baby through the atmosphere. With most of the traffic around Earth heading to travel hubs such as Japan, their approach would probably go unnoticed. Rouge set her craft on an approach vector into the atmosphere.

"Hang on, gentlemen. This is going to get a bit rocky."

Chris, Reyes and Konstantinos held on tight as the _Black Bat_ entered the atmosphere. The ship rocked about like it was a toy. They all jumped in their seats. Outside, the black hull was lit up by the orange glow of atmospheric reentry. The Marines were well used to this sort of reentry thanks to Pelican Dropships frequently making the trip through a planet's atmosphere. Rouge's journey on the _Phoenix_ a few years ago did not seem to dampen her quest for style and comfort. No doubt she was still living off her riches obtained in that little adventure.

"This thing has Slipspace drive on it?" Chris asked.

"It wouldn't be much of a starship if it didn't, handsome." The bat replied.

"Why would ONI give you your own bird?"

"I'm Section _Zero_, Chris. I'm sent out to do high profile government missions."

"Oh yeah? Like what? Assassinations?"

"If I tell you I have to kill you, handsome."

"I'm already a dead man." The Human replied.

Rouge sighed. "Alright. I did my share of wetwork over the years. I was given names of targets and was told to deal with them in any way that I could."

"Oh yeah? How?"

"The usual: long range sniper kills, poison, sabotage… among other things."

"You were never up close and personal?" Konstantinos asked.

"Not until about a couple years ago… when I was forced to _strip_ and step into a Marine uniform. I'm sure you remember that one, Captain."

Reyes raised an eyebrow. Chris smiled slightly, he wasn't particularly proud of that moment, but Rouge had been a valuable asset to the team during the time she stowed away on the _Phoenix_.

"Wasn't it fun though?" Vennettilli asked.

"'Fun' wouldn't have been the word I would use. I still remember the Krayt Dragon, Human."

"A What?" Konstantinos said. "Dragon?"

"A _very_ long story." Chris said.

Nobody asked any more questions on that subject.

The _Black Bat_ broke through the cloud layer and blasted over the ocean. Along with her, large cargo craft coasted along traffic routes with fat containers held by clamps. They presence of such large craft meant that they were coming towards a metropolitan center. The first of the skyscrapers came into view. They were massive, just as large as the ones in the US, but they followed much more angular designs. Some resembled pyramids, others resembled inverted tops, and many other designs that made cities in the United North American Federation. It seemed almost alien, but this was very much a Human city.

"Take a look out the windows, guys." Rouge said.

The buildings were covered in kanji characters, advertisements and video screens broadcasting Japanese news.

"Would you look at this place!" Reyes said. "Hell, I grew up in a town where nothing went higher than five stories!"

Rouge chimed in, "There's a bit of an issue: I can't get you in to the area where you need to go directly. I'll have to drop you off at a cargo dock momentarily."

"Won't they think it's odd that you're dropping off military personnel?" the Captain asked.

"_An astute observation, Chris_." NICOLE responded over the COM. "_I've taken the liberty of altering the landing schedules to include the _Black Bat_. This will give you a quick window to get off the ship and blend into the general public_."

"That means weapons disassembled." Konstantinos said.

"_Correct_." NICOLE said. "_We'll have to try and pin a way to get into the secure location where Hera, Jackson, and Roan are located_."

"Jackson and Roan are our primary marks. If you find Hera, bonus."

NICOLE whispered into Chris' ear, "_I think you're starting to take this way too seriously. Cool it_."

Chris didn't respond and just sat tighter in his seat. "When do we land?"

Rouge checked the computer. "Seven minutes. Get those weapons stored in bags and be ready to move."

Chris, Reyes, and Konstantinos. Pulled apart their weapons and stored them within duffel bags. It took less than ten seconds to store the rifles. For Chris, it took close to thirteen as he quickly learned how the gun was put together. If everything went smoothly, he would not have to use it.

"Anything else we should be preparing for?"

"_We have a man on the ground_."

"We do?"

"_Andsworth called him in right away. We got lucky as he happened to be on another assignment at the time. His name is Borne_."

"Should I know that name?" Chris said, brow furrowed in thought.

"_Looking it up: Ah, here it is. William Borne, a candidate for OMEGA_."

"What happened? He obviously didn't get in. If he was, he would have been with us."

"_He was trying_." NICOLE said. "_Things were a lot more difficult back then. Sally demanded a high level of experience to anyone hoping to gain access to OMEGA. She recommended he serve a tour of duty in the ODSTs to show he was ready for the heavy missions_."

"ODSTs?" Reyes said, aghast. "Good Lord, was she trying to get rid of him?"

"_In hindsight, I think Her Highness had no idea what she was signing him on for. However, that isn't the juicy part. The best part is that Borne went on to win himself a Bronze Star, a Legion of Merit, PLUS an officer's commission right on the spot._"

"This guy seemed perfect!" Chris said. "Why didn't we hire him on?"

"_Borne didn't want to leave. He loved his outfit and was loyal to it… however, he started to voice his political opinions following the mysterious death of John LaFarge._"

"Uh oh… not a smart thing to do." Chris said.

"_Oh you got that right._" The AI said. "_They were lucky they didn't shoot him. He was thrown out but was lucky enough to keep his awards. Probably to shut him up_."

Konstantinos said, "So how does this guy connect the dots with the Admiral?"

"_Simple!_" NICOLE said, "_He's simply tired of it all and wants it to end_!"

Rouge nodded over the controls. "I noticed he was making all the wrong calls and put him in touch with Andsworth. Borne was already on Earth, and as soon as he got the word, he was on the first flight here."

"Well, I'm not complaining. The more hands, the better."

"Amen." Reyes nodded.

"We're coming up on the cargo dock. I'll touch down briefly to let you off, but I'm back in orbit after that. No sense in me sticking around to get caught."

"Good idea." Chris said. "We'll keep in contact."

"I'll coordinate with NICOLE to get you files or codes to get you past doors. Good luck, handsome."

"Thanks. We'll need it."

* * *

The _Black Bat _swooped over a small building and dropped onto a lightly populated cargo deck. At the sign of the black ship hitting the metal pad, a couple of surprised workers looked at their datapads to make sure that the ship landing was one of the company models. Dumbstruck, the dock workers gazed as the vessel briefly touched down, dropped off three men wearing caps, baggy jackets and duffel bags. At once, the foreman, a tall and thin man, ran forward and demanded an explanation.

"Chotto, chotto! Nani o yaru ndesu ka?"

Chris' Interpreter read the sentence and spoke it into his ear in Japanese-accented English: "_Hey, Hey! What are you doing here?_"

Chris spoke back to the dockworker, trusting that the Japanese man had the same device on his ear. "Don't worry; we're just on our way through."

"_Jigoku wa nanidatta ka. Ikutsu ka no ID misete_!"

"_What the hell was that? Show me some ID!" _

Chris exhaled, "Look, your chart will show us as being cleared to land. We simply didn't have any room at the government sanctioned sites so we had to use an empty one."

"_Shikashi..._"

"_But…_"

"Go ahead and look! If you hold us up, I will personally inform your superior! You want that?"

The dockworker gulped and backed away from Vennettilli. The man backed away and went to take inventory of the cargo containers that were there.

"Smooth." Reyes said.

"I try. Let's walk."

The three men made their way to the exit of the cargo dock. Chris tapped his ear communicator. "We're in the city."

"_Acknowledged_." NICOLE said. "_You should be emerging near a pedestrian side road. If you continue down that path, you should be on Imosho Street, a raised road._"

"Can you tell us where we are supposed to meet Borne?"

"_His last known position was near a bar a few blocks from your position. Move towards the NAV point I'm putting down and try to remain inconspicuous. If you feel you might get searched, I can cover as your dispatcher_."

"Thanks, NICOLE." The Captain said. "Alright boys: we have a NAV point on where we are meeting Mister Borne. Try not to get arrested."

"Perish the thought." Konstantinos laughed.

The men went down the service road where people went past them on pedal bikes, mopeds and small hovercraft as well. Vendors were on the side of the road trying to sell things like food, drinks, and jewelry. Even with the Interpreters, the Marines found it difficult to understand just what was going on.

"Fresh fish from the docks!"

"You! Are you American? I have many American goods just for you! Price is negotiable!"

"Darling-_chan_! Your neck would look beautiful with a string of beautiful beads around it!"

"Gentlemen! How are you, yes? You want electronic equipment? I have the best tech for vehicles and aircraft this side of Shinjuku!"

This was a much more hard-living city than many others. The three gazed at the street vendors, the animals and the children that ran all over the place, and suddenly felt very disconnected with the rest of the world.

"So, this is how the cities really are, huh?" Reyes said.

"Only the less fortunate parts." Chris responded. "We have areas like these in New York. Even though most of the population is generally well off, there are those that scrape a meager living. Sure doesn't feel like the 33rd Century here."

"More like the 19th, maybe." Konstantinos said.

They had arrived at the main road. This was a wide avenue. People walked on pedestrian roads that hugged the sides of buildings. In the middle of the 'road', vehicles coasted between the walkways. Konstantinos leaned over the railing to look what was down below. His face turned a slight shade of green and he quickly made his way back.

"That is a long way down. Christ, I was never comfortable with heights. I grew up on sea-level ground!"

"You and me both." Reyes agreed.

"Nah, I was pretty comfortable with heights. Although every time when I was a kid, there was a little voice that came into my head every time I looked over a railing. It told me…'

_JUMP._

"What?" Reyes said. It told you what?

_**JUMP**. _

"Captain." Konstantinos said. "Captain!"

Chris was staring over the railing. He was suddenly struck with an uncharacteristic bout of vertigo. His head spun and he wandered back from the edge. He blinked rapidly, and suddenly he saw something across the walkway. A young Japanese man, probably around 25, was climbing over the railing with a depressed look on his face.

"Look! Over there!" He stammered, pointing a finger while moving immediately. Both Konstantinos and Reyes looked confused. He still moved to the closest bridge that would take him to the other side of the street. He tried to get the person to stop his suicide attempt while breaking into a run. "_MATTE!_" he shouted, as prompted by his Interpreter. "_TEISHI!_"

Reyes and Konstantinos were behind him trying to get Vennettilli to slow down. They were half-way over the bridge when they caught up to him.

"What the FUCK are you doing? We're trying not to draw attention to ourselves, and you go shouting and running!" Reyes hissed.

"Get off me!" The young man shouted and ran ahead over the chasm. He was out of breath when he reached the man, who hadn't jumped yet."

"_Teishi_!" Chris breathed. "Stop." He coughed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you speak English?"

"**Yes**." He heard the man say, but it wasn't in a tone he was expecting to hear. The Japanese man's face turned to face Chris, and he started to sweat in fright as he saw his own face looking back, but with an insane smile on his face.

* * *

"**Jump**." The mirror image cooed. It reached to grab Chris' shirt, and then let go of the railing to fall to its death. Chris lost his footing and followed the hellish apparition, when Reyes' powerful hand reached out and grabbed his collar. Chris looked down and saw the body spinning into the darkness. He blinked once and it was gone; just vanished into thin air.

Reyes grunted and pulled Chris back over. "You alright?"

Chris sank down and sat against the railing. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm OK."

"What the fuck just happened?" Konstantinos asked. "You nearly took a base jump!"

Chris shook his head. "You didn't see the man?"

"What man?" Reyes asked.

"The man who was about to jump… oh no, not again."

"Is there something you should be telling us?" Reyes asked, in an almost threatening way. His dark brown eyes stared inquisitively into Chris'.

"My head hasn't been right recently… I'm a bit… damaged."

"You're seeing things." Reyes concluded.

Chris wondered why NICOLE didn't butt into the conversation by this point, but it was probably because she felt Chris didn't need someone _diagnosing_ him.

The Marines asked if it was going to always happen like this. He assured them that this was only a rare thing that would only come up every now and again. Chris requested that he be slapped or shook back to reality should it happen again.

"Slapping my commanding officer? Hell, you don't need to ask me twice." Reyes smiled.

"Don't get used to it." Vennettilli scoffed. He looked around and saw a few people shooting him glances. They shook their heads, raised their eyebrows slightly or just quickly glanced at the strange-acting foreigner. "Did I make a scene?"

"By trying to kill yourself? Strangely enough, not as big of one as you would expect. There were a couple of odd glances as you were shouting to thin air, but once the big guy pulled you over, everything was back to normal. One guy on a bike was looking for a police officer though." Konstantinos explained while glancing around.

"We'd best get out of here." Chris concluded.

"_You'll need to find Borne's location._" NICOLE said. "_I want you to continue northward, take a left at the next major road, and look for a bar called 'The Canadian Goose'_."

"We're looking for a Canadian bar in Japan?"

"_It's not unlikely to find international references or stores themed around them. It's still as Japanese as you can get; they just have a Canadian theme to it_."

"Great. I could use a beer." Konstantinos said.

The road went on for close to a mile or so. They passed quite a few buildings as they went and decided to watch the advertisements as they went. They were mostly animes that were either showing off upcoming movies or endorsing a product.

"Are you a fan of anime, Captain?" Reyes asked.

"Honestly, no. Can't follow it."

"I have a little brother who can't get over it. Can't believe he gets them all the way out on Ceta Centauri!"

Chris racked his head, "That's the water moon of Alpha Centauri II, right?"

"Yeah. Have you ever been there?"

"I was on Alpha Centauri II when the Terrans attacked."

Reyes looked surprised. "Shit, you were in on that?"

"Yeah. I was in Huron, the northernmost city."

"My grandma lives in Huron! I was slugging it out in Lafayette! That's on the other side of the planet!"

"What happened?" Konstantinos asked. "I didn't enlist until '36."

Reyes decided to explain it to his removed colleague as they rounded the corner. The separated road became one as the flow of traffic continued to head in another direction. Like the street they were just on, it was totally congested with people that were riding bikes, driving small land vehicles, selling things and just going about their business. Chris in particular never saw this many people in one place before. He squinted and looked for the bar. He couldn't read Japanese katakana, which seemed to be what most of the storefront signs were written in. He saw a maple leaf under a sign reading 'Canadian Goose' in the local script.

"That looks like the place." The Captain said.

"So THAT's what a Canadian goose looks like." Reyes said. "Never saw any in Lafayette."

"_Before anything else happens, I noticed a spike in your blood pressure, Chris_." NICOLE whispered in his ear. "_It almost happened again, didn't it? Don't speak. We need to finish this now. Once all this is over, you're getting intensive treatment. Maybe they can find a way to get the Cipher out of your head._"

The bar was crowded with people drinking and spilling their beverages while laughing. Rock music was playing in the background too. This seemed like a lively bar in this neighborhood. Chris walked up to the bar and hoped that the bartender spoke English.

"Excuse me."

"_Mama ni shite, gaijin_."

"_Get out of here. Outsider_."

The translation device offered up a series of responses in Japanese. Chris selected one: _Watashi wa nani o itte iru o kiku koto ga dekirushi, watashi wa kibun o gaisuru._

"I can hear what you are saying and I am offended."

Suddenly, the bartender, a mid-aged man with a balding head, piercing eyes and a moustache spoke in English. "You have a translator. That is hardly sporting, _gaijin_."

"I want to ask you something."

"It better not be for a drink."

"No." Chris said containing his rage. "I'm looking for a Mobian. You wouldn't have happened to have seen one?"

The bartender turned his head. "That's him." He pointed to a man sitting on a bar knocking back drink after drink.

"You're letting him drink." Reyes noted.

"He's interesting and amuses me. You on the other hand are taking up my time."

Chris knew this one right off the top of his head: "_Baka ka_!"

The bartender huffed. "Alright, I wasn't expecting that. What will you have?"

Reyes did a double take. "A minute ago you were ready to throw us out. Now you're going to serve us?"

The bartender said, "At least you know the curses; more than most of the _gaijin_ coming in here. What will you have?"

Chris wasn't going to fool around anymore. "What's the strongest thing you have?"

The man laughed. "I didn't think you would be so quick to prove your worth, foreigner. I have hot sake; unfiltered. This is as raw as it will get." He brought out a bottle and poured a glass. The liquid sat there in a somewhat milky state. Chris grabbed the glass, and without hesitation, downed it in one gulp. Even the bartender and a couple of his assistants leaned forward.

The burning sensation was almost unparalleled. He did not expect this. He thought that sake was a smooth drink that would go down easily. Evidently what was in his esophagus was not the case. First of all it was hot, almost steaming. Secondly it was as strong as grappa. Thirdly, his throat was constricted to the point where breathing was almost impossible. The other bartenders started to laugh at the man who was gripping the bar in a white knuckle hold.

"_Kare wo mite! Kare wa aka wo mawashite_!"

When the liquid finally set in his stomach, the Marine cleared the mist from his eyes and stood up strong. "Another." He said calmly. Even this surprised the bartender.

"You want _another_? Do you have something to prove?"

"I guess so. I will pay this time." Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out credit bills. He took a good fifty Credits and passed them to the bartender.

"Can you count? The shot costs 10 Credits!"

"Consider the rest a wager." Chris said. "If I can drink this without doubling over at all, I win the bet. If I cave, you get the money."

"_Drawing attention…_" NICOLE warned. Chris told her to shut up.

A couple heads turned as they watched the foreigner receive another glass of this steaming spicy sake. Chris gripped the glass tightly. There was 40 Credits on the line after all, not to mention his honor. Konstantinos and Reyes waited patiently. Reyes himself had his two index fingers pressed to his lips.

Chris downed the drink again and was immediately reeling from the effects of the sake. He tried his hardest not to double over and admit defeat, but even the strongest will could not withstand the effect of this particular drink, and he placed his forehead to the bar. The bartenders laughed and scooped up the Credits. To his surprise though, the bartender smiled. "I didn't think you would do that twice."

"I had a point to prove."

"Well it got across. You drink like a man. What do you two want?"

As Reyes and Konstantinos got their beers, Chris felt a grip on his shoulder. Fearing it to be an ONI agent, he wheeled around to see the face of their contact, William Borne, staring back at him. He was smiling, which revealed his canine teeth. He spoke with an accent that made him think he was Southern or maybe Appalachian in a way.

"I heard all the commotion and I decided to see what was up. You must be the guy I was trying to meet." The Mobian German Shepard extended a hand. "Sergeant Major Borne."

"Captain Chris Vennettilli."

"Why don't we have a seat, Captain. You can brief me on what we're supposed to be after."

Chris bowed his head quickly to the bartender who returned the gesture. He then followed Borne to his seat and made himself comfortable. There was a framed picture of a group of hockey players in the middle of a frozen lake.

"You know, for a bar themed on Canada, the bartender strikes me as a little bit racist."

Borne shrugged. "He's just a throwback from a time when it was OK to bash different people. Take it from a Mobian, sir." Borne looped his arm over the back of the booth. "What the hell were you thinking taking on that sake?"

"To be honest, I wasn't. I needed to prove I wasn't weak."

"Well, a foreigner managed to do twice what sent a man to the hospital the other day."

"No kidding."

"The guy actually happened to be Canadian. Jumped on one of the tables and shouted 'VANCOUVER ROCKS YOUR SOCKS'. Some guy challenges him to a drinking contest, orders up the special sake, and on the first shot of the round, the Canadian guy slumps over and shakes violently. Some of the locals thought he was having a seizure. They weren't that far off.'

"You were here when that happened?"

"No, I was just chatting up the people here."

"You speak Japanese?" Chris asked; he was a bit surprised at Borne.

"No, but some people here speak damn good English, if you prove that you're amusing enough to talk to that is." He smiled, but then straightened out. "Things are really going bad on the homeworld based on what I'm hearing."

Chris shook his head. "Not good. Personally I've been detached as well, given that I was on the run and all that."

"The kingdom under new management, suspicious new sanctions passed by majority vote in the UN, and if I heard the reports correctly, Her Highness the Princess has gone missing."

Chris' heart sank. He wouldn't breathe a word of Sally to Borne, but he would show that he was troubled. "It's all bullshit. Marshall's behind it, but we need to prove it."

"…And that proof lies within an ONI facility that I can help you locate."

Chris was now curious. "OK, how can _you_ do that? You're a bit of an unreal Godsend if you don't mind me saying so."

Borne took a drink from his beer, sighed appreciatively, and leaned closer to Chris. "You see these?" He grabbed his dogtags and dangled them in front of the Captain's nose.

"ODST tags."

"Damn right they are. Do you remember when I wanted to submit my application to join OMEGA back when you guys first formed?"

"Not personally. Paperwork and Logistics were handled by the Princess."

"Well then, let me sum it up for you: she told me to get experience by going out there and 'doing stuff'. I decided the best way to impress a princess was to go do daring work. So I joined the ODSTs."

"You mean you committed suicide."

Borne scoffed; his cheeks puffed up when he did this, which revealed his large canines. It made him rather distinctive, aside from eyes greener than Chris'. "If you want to put it like that, I was actually a Parajumper. What I did basically was I was shot from the ship in the pod, right? As soon as I cleared reentry, the thing basically was designed to disintegrate. I would HAHO from there."

"That means High Altitude, High Opening, right?"

"Yeah, I did. Most of my missions were confidential under ONI, so I got a bit of exposure backstage if you catch my drift. But… erm… that's another story entirely. Long story short, I made the connections, impressed the right people, and in the end, I did get to join OMEGA, just a couple members short, I suppose." He laughed again.

"So you have clearance to get into ONI areas."

"Sure do." He took a drink of beer. "ONI hasn't had a reason to liquidate me yet. However, talking to one of the most wanted men on Earth might put me on the chopping block."

"Look… I didn't do any of the shit they said on the news."

"I know; I believe you. Andsworth tried to pull me over even though I was already on your side. I mean, I knew you were crazy, but I also knew you weren't a murderer."

"Thanks, Borne."

"Not a problem. Now, who are we trying to locate, exactly?"

Chris took nearly half an hour explaining the full story to their contact. He spoke of Abigail Hera, the mysterious woman who had a vested interest in the Human's survival, and then he brought in the mercenaries Roan and Jackson who were paid by a mysterious source. Borne brought up the question of if the mercenaries knew who hired them in the first place. Chris responded that he was adamant that Roan and Jackson themselves had no idea, as the deal was probably conducted through agents or had a high enough reward that no questions were asked.

Borne became interested with his tales of Talahan and later the adventure on Installation 05 in a constant effort to escape his pursuers. By this time, Reyes and Konstantinos sat down at the booth, but made glances to the door, as if expecting trouble. Chris realized that the other two Marines did not hear this tale and were very interested. By the time he finished with his arrival back on Earth, the other two Humans said, 'So it all makes sense now."

"What?" Chris asked.

Konstantinos spoke up, "You know Reyes and I never worked together before. We were both brought aboard the _Burro_ by Andsworth. I never knew why."

"Why then?" Borne asked, flicking his hands.

Reyes finished the thought. "Both Konstantinos and I… must have had contact with a Chaos Emerald."

"How is that possible?" Chris asked.

Reyes said, "I was on a rock… God, I don't even remember the name. Me and my unit, we were asked to remove a… 'Tier 1 Geological Asset', but that ONI bullshit and I knew it. I found it. I held it in my hand. It was blood red. But… they wanted me dead for it?" Reyes slumped back in his seat. "Jesus Christ."

"And what's your story?" Borne asked Konstantinos. The Greek Marine swallowed. "I… was just a transporter for one. It was planned as a power source on Constance… my home actually. I just wanted a look. I knew it was against regulation, but I held it in my hand. It was lighter than I thought…"

Borne interjected. "I thought there were only 7 Chaos Emeralds."

"You haven't gone as far as some of us have, Borne." Chris said with arms folded. "There could be hundreds out there."

"This is total _BULLSHIT!_" Reyes shouted, probably a little louder than he should have. A couple curious patrons turned around, but a quick glance from the Captain later, they twisted around. "Bullshit. Bullshit! What aren't we being told?"

"It's a code." Chris revealed. "A way to stop… something terrible."

Even Reyes went pale. "Like what?"

Chris raised his eyebrows. "I don't know. I really, truly, honest to God don't know what it is we're trying to stop. It looked like a ship or a station, but I think it's beyond anything we have ever seen."

Borne shivered. Normally a bad sign with a tough Mobian like him. This was creepy. NICOLE cut in.

"_Captain! You have five foot-mobiles heading your way! Captain! HUNTERS!_"

"Shit!" Chris shouted. Everyone got up and got ready to leave. The bartender noticed this and walked towards them.

"Who are you people?"

Borne made eye contact with the Japanese man. "People you really shouldn't be messing with. Is there a back exit?"

"Why?"

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Will grunted and pulled another fifty credits out of his pocket. "You see this? Is there a back exit, or should we show you what's in our bags?"

The man didn't say anything, but took the money, nodded and pointed to a hinged door at the back of the bar. "There. Go. Leave."

* * *

The Marines made haste to exit the bar into a shipping alley. It looked like some sort of tram brought goods to the shops in this neighborhood.

"How long do you think until they find us?" Reyes asked. They opened their bags and began to assemble their weapons.

"Not long." Chris said. "They found us here; they'll find us anywhere in the city. Our best bet is to go to the ground levels.

"_Good plan._" NICOLE said. "_I'm also getting some suspicious military COM pings from the lower levels. They're encrypted too._ _Difficult, but not difficult enough to stop me. Looks like our ONI facility is on street level_."

Chris built his gun up with care. He screwed in the barrel, tightened the bolt, and locked it to appreciate the _clack_ the weapon made as it was ready to fire. He squeezed the trigger to unlock the weapon. He reached into his pouch and pulled out an ammunition magazine. Peeling off the lid, he quickly inspected the coffin magazine and inserted it into the rifle. Lastly, he pulled the bolt back, locking the first round into the chamber. The tool of war was now ready.

"This is it, guys." The young man said. "We're about to engage ONI Forces. Rules of Engagement are Fire if Fired Upon."

"Aye-aye." Reyes said. He snapped his weapon together.

"I'll follow your lead." Konstantinos nodded.

Borne grabbed Chris' shoulder though. "There's something else isn't there?"

"What are you talking about?"

"This is about more than getting Marshall." Will said.

"There is more." Chris said simply. "It's personal. Now are we going to storm the fortress or sit here while Hunters tear apart the town looking for us?"

Borne pulled out a heavily modified pistol, extended the stock, and loaded an extended magazine into it. "Let's roll, sir!"

The four men sprinted down the alley, pushing aside any people that were in their way. Thankfully it was a sparsely populated service road, and before long, they found a cargo lift.

"_This will take you to the street._" NICOLE explained. "_Follow my directions from there and then Mr. Borne can help you get in the complex_."

Reyes reached to press the button. "Here goes nothing boys. We're heading into hell." He tapped the down button. The lift lurched, and then descended into the ancient depths of the city.


	24. Chapter 24: Into the Dark

Chapter 24: Into the Dark  
June 9th, 3239, 1240 hours  
The Lower Levels  
Shinjuku District, Tokyo, Earth

The first thing that the Marines noticed was that the air was getting thicker as they went down through the lower levels. In truth, this was what some of the other men were comfortable with. Only Chris was more used to the higher altitude air pressures than the others. Back in New York, they had a derogatory name for people like him: "Sky Suckers". This was the name generally applied to the upper class because the wealthiest could buy penthouse suites in the upper 200th stories. Chris thought it was kind of a misnomer since his family only lived around the 110th story. Regardless though, it acclimatized him to a thinner atmosphere. He never said anything about it, but he sometimes got winded when he was on the ground after longer sprints. He made a mental note that he would readjust his house's air pressure to coincide with ground pressure from now on.

"You smell that?" Reyes asked.

"Yeah. Smells like a processing center." Borne said. He carefully walked over to the railing. He glanced over towards the ground. "Looks like a market actually. They built a market around a shipping elevator?"

"Probably because they wanted to get first pick of supplies that went through." Reyes suggested.

"Wait a second." Chris said. "Market means people. Shit, I did not see this coming! I thought it would be empty or at least very sparse."

"People still live on ground levels, you know." Konstantinos said. "It's not empty down here."

The elevator showed that they were fifty stories from the ground. They had to think fast.

"We're going to pose as guards. Someone asks us who we are, we explain that we are UNSC and we're being called into a situation down here."

"Will that work?" Borne asked nervously.

"_It could work on the regular citizens._" NICOLE offered. "_You should avoid anybody that looks official though. The local police should be side-stepped, although armed security seems like it exists down here_."

"I hear that." Chris agreed. "You heard the lady, guys. Stay away from cops."

"Roger." The Marines muttered.

No sooner had they finished that conversation, the elevator hit the ground with a metallic thud. A man who looked like a merchant stood about ten feet from the elevator. The surprised man wore a stray hat and looked like he hadn't shaved in a week. A crooked pair of glasses sat on his nose. It was clear to him that these visitors were not Japanese, but he noticed that they did not look like killers.

He tried to speak English: "Eh… Who you are?"

Chris made eye contact. "UNSC." He simply said. "Friends. Understand? He added "_Rikai suru?_" at the insistence of his Interpreter.

"_Hai_. Eh, yes. Yes. Sorry." He bowed out of the way and allowed the Marines to pass.

The men took a quick look around. Based on the smell, this was a fish market. They looked and saw fish that was native to Earth, and some that were not. Most of these must have come from nearby Minato or Shinagawa. These were places where fisheries would send their goods. Why not the commercial and geographical center of the city? Konstantinos nudged Chris' shoulder. "That one's from Constance." He pointed at one that looked something like an eel and a goldfish mixed together. It had two sets of fins near the head and the tail.

"How does it taste?" Vennettilli asked.

"Like chicken." Konstantinos answered.

"I hear that too often." Reyes added.

"Because apparently, everything in the galaxy does taste like chicken." The Greek Marine said.

The vendor smiled at the prospect of having a sale. Chris held up his left palm as a sign of just browsing, at which she smiled and bowed quickly. "Time to move on, guys."

They left the market and set off in no general direction, following the moving crowd up an angled road. "NICOLE, can you get a fix on our location?"

"_Naturally. I'm patching into the local security network. No problem. I can see you now_."

"Good." Chris said. He was jumping from corner to corner trying to find a camera."

"I can't see you."

"_But the most important thing is I can see you, Sergeant_."

"What?"

He was in a jungle. The familiar two toned caw of the crested screamer made him shake as it always did.

"That's the thing about snipers, kiddo." Sid Romano said while lighting up a cigarette. "When you're in their sights, they are gods: able to dispense justice in high caliber format."

Chris chuckled nervously. "You… you're not pointing that thing at me, are you, Jeff?"

"Well, technically I'm pointing above and to your left. I have to account for wind, you know.

Chris wheeled around trying to find out where his sniper was. Unfortunately, it was all in vain. He could not find his sniper.

"OK. I give up, Winston. Where are you?"

"_A magician never reveals his secrets_." was his reply.

"Be that way. Do you have a visual over the highway?"

"_I do_."

The squad was on a mission today to do a little demolition work. There was a highway that the Talahase used to move supplies to other bases. Calling it a highway was honoring it though. It simply was a raised roadway that went over deep swampy water. It stunk to high heaven, but it was the quickest way to go around here."

"Do you see any patrols?"

"_Not a thing. Clear for almost three miles. Go and plant the charges._"

"Keep an eye out there, Private."

"_Yes Sergeant_."

"Shepard, Romano, we're going up. Get your gear ready."

"Aye-aye, Staff Sergeant." They both said.

The Marines packed up their gear and sprinted down the hill towards the swamp. They were travelling light, so only the bare minimum of armor and weapons were slung around them. The reason for this was because they wanted to vacate the area quickly before they were discovered. The hill evened out at the edge of the water. Chris took his share of explosives and made sure the wiring was secure against the water. The last thing he needed was a shorted out detonator.

"Everybody else's packages in order?"

"Ready to deliver, Sergeant." Shepard nodded.

"Don't we have dedicated demo squads to do this?"

Chris sighed. "Well, we must have impressed someone. Our orders were signed by someone called O'Malley. Never heard of him before. The Colonel mentioned that he looked into our work in Jackamo about a week ago and wanted us for this."

"But this is routine." Romano said. "They wouldn't give us an easy job like this."

"Well they did." Chris said plainly. "You know, I also hear that they're planning on making a Lieutenant."

Both men froze and looked at the young NCO. "A Lieutenant?" Romano asked.

"Yeah."

"But… that makes no sense at all!" he said.

"Permission to speak freely?" Dean asked.

"Go ahead, but we're on a schedule." Chris nodded.

"That's fucked up. Do you think you deserve it?"

"It's not a question of if I deserve it. Benedict's dead. Kapplin's dead. I'm next in line to command."

Lieutenant Kapplin's death was only four days ago. He was out on patrol near Death's Pass when he was abducted by Talahase rebels. Two days later they found him… what was left of him anyway.

"Well, I hope you have what it takes then."

"Seconded." Chris sighed. "Now are we doing this, or what?"

The men sealed their explosives and slipped into the water. It was lukewarm, even in the jungle heat. Their feet didn't touch bottom though so they paddled through the water. A couple of times, the thought crossed Chris' mind that some horrifying creature was laying beneath him. He chose not to think at all about this and focused on the task at hand.

When he reached the first pillar holding the road over the water, a thought snuck into his head. "Hey, have we considered that civilians could also be using this road?"

Romano and Shepard looked at each other with a look of confusion. That fact hadn't come up in the briefing.

"I suppose so." Dean said first. "It is a highway after all."

"We could be crippling an infrastructure by doing this."

"Isn't that what war's all about? They'll find another way to get medical supplies to their people." Sid growled and stuck his C12 package on the concrete. "OK. Mine's green. Better get yours set up, Sergeant."

Chris nodded and swam across a couple pillars. Sid was right though. The Talahase population probably could get their supplies through other roads… but it would take a whole lot longer. He fought the feeling to just drop the explosive into the depths, but stuck it on his pillar and activated the remote arming device. "Got mine lit. Shepard, how are you doing?"

"Just finished mine, Staff Sergeant."

"Chuck-" he stopped himself.

Chuck was dead.

"Did you say something, Sergeant?"

"No. Nothing."

Just then, Chris' radio crackled. He tapped the COM set on his ear. "Go."

"_I've got movement further up the road! Looks like a convoy's headed through!_" Winston was safe in his perch – wherever that was, but the impromptu sapper team's time was up. "_Fall back, guys!_"

Winston laid the facts out while the group was swimming to the shore. There was a total of ten trucks, including two armored vans with heavy machine guns bolted on the top – probably ramshackle designs. There was a bus however in the center. Jeff called it in.

"A bus?" Sid asked. "A bus means civilians!"

"We don't know that." Chris said. He gave his answer honestly. "We don't know if civilians are involved."

"What if it's an armed escort? With all due respect, Sergeant, we should wait to get out of here!"

The team climbed back on the grassy slope and went prone. Chris had the detonator out, ready to blow the charges. "Corporal Romano, those are targets of opportunity. I'm not going to just sit here and let a potential dent in the rebel's defenses just pass us by! What if there are weapons on that bus? They wouldn't be using armed escorts to move people around!"

Sid remained silent. He had nothing more to add to this conversation. Likewise, Dean kept his mouth shut as well. They were waiting for the NCO to make the call now. He was the one with the detonator. He held his thumb over the blinking red button.

"_Heads up, the first truck is now in the kill zone. If you're going to blow that thing, do it NOW, Sergeant_."

Sweat matted his brow. He wiped it away, and a split second later, he made the decision: blow the bridge.

His thumb hit the button. An electric impulse shot out of the detonator's transmitter at the speed of light and told the C12 packages to detonate. Sparks were struck, material ignited and magnified tenfold. At once, the bright blue day turned into an inferno that sparked between the bus and the sixth truck in the convoy. An explosive shockwave blasted the nearest trees away and hammered the Marines. Had their high-tech ear protection not kicked in, they would have cradled their bleeding eardrums. Chunks of the bridge, metal from the vehicles, and wood from the trees were flung skyward and rained down as meteors, complete with flame. Where the area of the bridge once stood was now a gap nearly a hundred feet wide. Out of the ten convoy vehicles, only two were left on the bridge, smoking badly. Their crews piled out and were trying to figure out just what the hell happened.

The other eight were on fire and sinking into the swampy water. There were cries that were barely heard over the burning of the fire of men who were struggling for their lives. The bus had disintegrated in the blast.

"Dear Jesus. Did you see the size of that fireball?" Sid said out of amazement. "Did our packs do that?"

"No, there wasn't enough ordinance in them to do that. It must have been the bus."

"Like the Sergeant said." Chris put on a face that showed he was confident in his choice.

"What did I tell you boys? It's all deductive reasoning."

Sid looked like he was taking it the worst. "Sorry, kiddo. I thought you were making the wrong call."

Chris shrugged. "You weren't wrong to think so. It was a tough call, but I was sure of my decision. Let's get out of here."

The trio made sure to slip away while the confusion went on. They were unnoticed.

"_I saw the show from up here. Nice work, Staff Sergeant_."

"Thanks for the warning, Jeff."

"_I don't think any munitions will be flowing through this area anymore._"

"Thanks to the 182, that's a fact." Dean laughed. "Damn, I can STLL feel the heat from the blast!"

"I'll signal for evac." The young NCO said. As he made the call to the dropship, a horrible feeling formed in his gut. It was something that chilled him to the bone.

_I guessed._

It was nothing but blind luck. Chris had no reason to think there were any explosives on the bus. It could very well have been an armed escort like Sid suggested. They could have even been prisoners for all he knew. He had taken a gamble and it had paid off. Although it was a slight relief to know that no innocent people were actually harmed, the fact that there was a possibility that people that were non-combatants could have died racked his heart. The military hadn't taken that bit of humanity away from him yet.

"You alright, Staff Sergeant?" Sid asked.

"I'm fine…" he mumbled; more to himself than someone else.

"I asked if you were alright, sir." Reyes asked again.

Chris stared into space idly. Reyes shook the young man's shoulder. "Sir. Are you alright?"

"What?" Chris said shivering. "I… I'm fine."

"_Elevation in blood pressure and brain activity. You had another one_."

Chris shook his head. "It was smoother this time. I slipped in an out without even noticing."

"Well we sure noticed." Konstantinos said. "You were just standing there. You didn't say a single word. It was scary.

"Sorry about that." The Captain apologized, as if he accidently bumped into a stranger. "Let's carry on.

NICOLE linked up to Reyes, Konstantinos, and Borne. "_Listen to me carefully and don't respond. This has been happening more and more with increasing frequency. If he slips into a hallucination where he could be a danger to himself, You have permission to incapacitate him for medical transport._"

The three men gazed at Chris with worried glances. Reyes whispered, "What if he attacks us?"

"_…I'll have to get back to you on that._" Then she withdrew.

* * *

They hadn't gone far from the market. Through a series of side-passages and allies, they arrived at what they assumed was a main street. No sunlight came down to meet them; all illumination was supplied by streetlamps, storefront lights, and UV strips along the 'floof' for the upper city. The road was very old. It was likely they were standing on the original road system for the city back before it was updated through time. The dividers were lit strips that wouldn't wear away in the humidity or weather. Compact cars moved through crowds of people as they moved about. Most stood on sidewalks, but many crossed the streets at will. It was very noisy down here as well: a combination of human speech, car engines, music from advertising walls, and many fans that kept the air clean and circulated.

"Lower New York didn't look anything like this. It was orderly, quieter, and a lot cleaner."

"People live in arcologies in New York." Borne said. "Those are buildings where entire populations are in a self-contained, self-sufficient environment. People here live differently."

"What are your thoughts, Borne?" Chris asked.

"I don't like this. Much too crowded for me."

"Is that your Mobian sense of environmentalism?"

"No, just a sense of not liking crowds."

"Enough exposition." Chris decided. "Do you know where ONI's base is?"

"From here, not really. I was taken directly to the compound by car. It was inconspicuous though."

"_Do you remember the make of the car_?"

Borne leaned up against a wall and shrugged. "Uh… not really. It was a black SUV… lights on the roof, spare tire on the back, and… OH, the lights made an inverted corner under the grill!"

"_On it_." NICOLE scrambled to check vehicle databases on Earth. She ran through almost three hundred automotive manufacturers and scanned based on Borne's description. She found five matches, but narrowed it down to two based on a global search: The Troy Esperado, and the Ford Gallagher. She quickly diverted her runtime and hacked into the city's camera system, masquerading as a software update. The Supervisor AI never knew she slipped in. After jumping around, she discovered that an abnormally large number of Ford Gallaghers were parked in front of a building about two kilometers from their position. She quickly ruled out a car dealership, and the building profile or writing did not match that of a police station either. This must be where the ONI outpost was.

After a grand total of five seconds, she reported back in to the guys. "_You're going to like this: I think I may have found our hidden base. It's masquerading as a pump station about two kilometers away._"

"I remember now. I knew it was a municipal building of some sort." Borne said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "How can you be certain?"

"_I found a large number of unmarked black SUVs parked in a three block radius. Guys, all of the plates don't match the legal standard. They're clearly designed to throw off suspicion and are untraceable_."

"Which ironically enough," Chris said with a smirk, "has traced them back to ONI."

"Funny how things work out." Reyes said.

"_I'd get moving if I were you_." NICOLE advised. "_At your average pace, you can reach the pump station in around fifty minutes. No direct route to get there. I'll update your minimap with police locations to give you a heads up_."

A NAV point appeared in Chris' vision. He groaned as he saw the distance to the point. "You all get updated positions?" Chris took a look around, and was startled how many people were staring at them. It wouldn't be surprising that foreigners would get a decent amount of attention, but the Mobian got a double amount of staring. Again, Chris had to remind himself that these people were seeing a five foot tall talking animal dressed in a jacket and holding a rifle. It was something right out of an anime, to use a rather apt example. Honestly, they were under-reacting.

A chorus of 'affirmative's, and 'yes's came about.

"Alright gentlemen. Time's wasting!"

* * *

In orbit, the _Burro _was in a geosynchronized orbit over Japan. From the distance of about 30,000 kilometers from the surface, the details were still far beyond recognition. He ordered his helmsman to keep over here so that if any important reports came in, he would be able to communicate with the ground team. The Black Bat had not returned yet, and he found himself counting down the hours. NICOLE recently gave him an update on the squad's position. The Captain was approaching the site of the suspected ONI building, but they would need visual confirmation for proof.

NICOLE's hologram appeared next to Gerome.

"Admiral, I've just done a further sweep of the building that ONI has hidden itself in."

"Report."

"It's in the guise of a pumping station, which appears slightly out of place in the middle of the city. As far as I know, there are no other buildings that can be considered of military nature within the city limits."

Andsworth sat back in his chair. "Seems odd the spooks are deciding to dig in instead of showing themselves to the public."

"I am curious to this development as well, sir." The AI looked out the window into space.

"You seem upset, NICOLE." The older man noted.

"Is it obvious?"

"For an AI, yes. It's quite obvious."

"I've been upset for quite a while." She admitted. "Ever since I was handed off to Chris… I knew it would only get worse from there. Here we are now, probably on the brink of war."

"It's scary, isn't it?" Andsworth asked.

NICOLE took her time analyzing the question. She didn't feel fear the same way an organic being did. To her, being afraid was a combination of algorithms and not being able to perform a task. She had to struggle for years to understand the concept of fear. But when she looked at the Human, she whispered, "It's very scary."

"It kind of makes you wonder if things would have been better if we never showed up at all. How different would things be if we never made that jump in the first place?"

NICOLE smirked. "Actually, I have an idea, but I'm not at liberty to say."

"Why not?"

"There's a firewall in my program that was installed before I began my service, and I can't break past it. Doubtless, whatever you're imagining can be revealed once that's taken down."

"You'll have to tell me more about that one day…" Andsworth gazed out of the viewscreen. He spotted another ship moving towards them. "Commander Xander, care to explain who's knocking on my door?"

Jubil shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "They're definitely military. The tags match up with those in our databases. Identity confirmed as the UNSC _Reaper_."

Andsworth shivered. "That's not exactly the ship I wanted to see more than once in my career."

"Incoming transmission, sir. Closed band." The COM officer said while leaning in his chair. "They really want to talk to you."

"Put it on the viewer, Ensign."

Andsworth's face drained of color as he looked into the eyes of Troy Marshall. The President was visible from the collar up and was dressed in a suit. He smiled, but Gerome sensed that this was not something to be comfortable with.

"_Hello, Admiral_."

"Mr. President."

NICOLE quickly disappeared with a gasp before Marshall could see her. She withdrew to cyberspace with a sense of dread and fright.

"_How goes your study of the Black Hole cluster_?"

"Informative, Mister President."

"_I mean, it obviously went well if you're standing before me and talking to me_."

Gerome laughed to keep the conversation civil. "So, what do I owe the honor, sir?"

"_I was calling to check up on you, Gerome. I noticed that you came back from your recent trip, you haven't been moving for the last few hours, so I assumed you had engine trouble." _

"Engine trouble is so important that the President of the UEG had to call me up?" The Navy man shot back.

At once, Marshall's friendly smile disappeared. "_Admiral Andsworth, you are under arrest for high treason against the Unified Earth Government and in breach of military protocol for your interactions with a terrorist. You will surrender your ship, your crew, and will enter custody aboard the _Reaper_." _

_ "_I didn't do anything wrong." He professed. However, as soon as the words escaped his mouth, the _Burro_ began to rock in space. "What was that?" He demanded.

"_My calling card_." Marshall growled. "_A dropship has just connected to your docking ring to arrest you. Before you ask, my people have determined that a very valuable target is on your ship." _

"Is that so?" Andsworth said, now starting to become a little bit amused.

"_Getting rid of that lifeboat was a smart move._" Marshall said as he got up and paced around his office. A flash of lightning struck and painted the entire right side of his face white for a second. "_It made me consider how things were turning out_."

"Who's lifeboat?"

"_Don't play STUPID with me, Admiral! He's on your ship!_"

"I highly doubt that."

"_Don't push me. Don't push me, not when we are THIS close to ending this whole thing_."

Andsworth relaxed in his chair. "We are indeed getting close to ending this whole thing. The only problem is it's not going to end well for you." This time it was Andsworth's that got up and paced. "When this whole thing started, I questioned the Captain's motives. The boy was a bit rash at times. I certainly found that he had an air of rambunctiousness and a bit of pride, but I knew he was no murderer. I knew that right from the minute I met him. I also knew that the destruction of the _Elijah Jones_ was also something worth investigating. I also know, thanks to a few friends of mine, that your innocence is starting to look very strained. So how about you go ahead and tell us all what we already know."

Marshall got close to the camera. "Do you know how close you are to a public execution?"

"Pretty damned close, I would think. How nice of you to bring back a lovely memoir of the 19th Century."

"_I've been saving it for a special occasion_." The man snarled deeply. "_Your words have no weight. You are nothing but a washed up naval officer who has become a terrorist sympathizer who is secretly plotting to help overthrow the UEG._"

That one caught the old man off guard. "Well, now, that _is _a big threat. I assume that _you_ have some sort of evidence to back it up."

"_Just sit tight_." The President said as another fork of lightning blasted the outside. Without warning, the door to the bridge slid open. Black-armored men wearing airtight helmets came into the compartment with submachine guns pointing at the crewmen. Andsworth looked and saw that they were all ordained with the ONI symbol on their sleeves.

"CLEAR!" one of them shouted. The commander removed his helmet and walked to the center of the room. He was a tall man with a buzz cut and a broken nose. "Sir, he's not here. We checked every compartment here."

Marshall growled. "_Did you encounter any resistance_?"

"None, sir."

"_Where is he, Gerome_?"

"Not here."

Marshall began to lose his patience. "Captain, target a crewmember."

"Yes, Mr. President." The commander said pointing his weapon at Xander. The man became frightened and raised his hands as if to defend himself with them.

"This is crazy!" Jubil cried out.

"_I'm going to ask you again._" The enraged politician said again, this time with a tone that the admiral had never heard before. It was as if he was deciding to shoot him then and there. "_Where is Captain Vennettilli_."

Andsworth decided to tell a half-truth. It might be enough to spare Jubil's life. "He left, but I don't know where he went. He commandeered a shuttle and just took off looking for his friends."

Marshall looked into Andsworth's eyes, judging him then and there. Andsworth stole a glance towards Commander Xander. The XO was visibly shaking, and looked towards them men pointing weapons at him. Marshall sighed and said, "_Liar_."

The gun went off. The bullet hit Xander in the neck, splattering the computer behind him with blood. Jubil didn't scream, but wrapped his hand around his throat and gasped in a broken manner. He fell out of his chair and lay on the floor with a pool of blood growing around him. Andsworth was beyond shocked. He could barely say anything and desperately wanted to get up and help his officer. However, he knew that the gun would be pointed at him next if he tried to do something funny.

"_Is he dead_?" Marshall asked.

"No sir." The commander stated. "The bullet went right through the larynx, but missed the spine."

"_What is Commander Xander's status?_"

"Critically injured. His jugular vein may have been nicked."

"_Excellent_."

It disgusted Gerome to hear Marshall say those words. The man on the screen was no better than the terrorists that held Talahan V years ago. He was using his power and his men to gain information, and more importantly, bully Andsworth into compliance.

"_So, my good admiral, I present to you a scenario: one of your crew is heavily injured, and you are at the mercy of someone who has you at a disadvantage. Do you either a) swallow your pride and give up, b) go be a hero and see where that takes you, or c) keep on making me angry and make these gentlemen shoot another crewmember?_" Marshall chuckled. "_Look at Commander Xander. His life is slowly draining away. I have the power to save him, or end his suffering_." At that, the ONI commander raised his weapon again."

"Don't do this. I…"

"_Yes…?_" the president said, waiting for the response.

"I surrender. I'll tell you where the Captain went."

Marshall reveled in the words. "_Oh, I already know where he went. ONI has eyes and ears all over the planet. I just needed you to be the big man and decide_. _I surrender_. _Such a phrase that shows weakness, but at the same time great dignity. You made the right call, Admiral. That's why you're the flag officer_."

"Mr. President, what about the Commander?" the ONI officer said.

"_Well, a deal's a deal. Patch him up and get him on the shuttle. Take our esteemed guest while you're at it. Ensure that he's taken to a separate area away from the others_."

"Very good, sir. What about the other crewmembers?"

Marshall smiled quickly. "_No more witnesses._"

Before Andsworth could react, the ONI insertion team pointed their guns and blasted away the other crew members. The surprised Navy officers cried out as bullets and plasma rounds tore into them. In five seconds, the viewscreen, the windshield, and the computer banks were riddled with bullet holes and burns as well as dark crimson blood.

"_And you know what, Admiral_?"

Gerome was too shocked to answer. His mouth lay open as all ten of the bridge officers excluding Jubil were twisted and broken on the floor with their uniforms stained by their own blood. He did however make eye contact with Marshall on the viewscreen.

"_We were just too late_."

"Too late for what?"

"_To stop you from your terrorist plot._"

The _Reaper _glowed white and turned into a fireball for a few seconds. From this distance, the ship was torn in two and began to tumble in the void. Around it, glimmering pieces of metal twirled around it.

"_Why did you do it, Admiral? You were a respected member of the admiralty! You were a man that pledged his life for Humanity and THIS is how you repay us?_"

"THIS WILL NEVER WORK!" The enraged man said. Gerome stood up and roared at Marshall. "THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW!"

"_The public will know that a respected member of the military snapped, performed an act of terrorism on Earth's doorstep, and is a known cohort linked to the disgraced UNSC Marine Corps Captain, Christopher J. Vennettilli. Frankly, admiral, you're done._" A rifle butt slammed him in the head, and then there was blackness. All he could see was the destruction of the _Reaper_, and wondered if the men and women aboard that ship knew if their lives were going to end.

NICOLE huddled in Cyberspace horrified by what she just saw. She was in a floating garden suspended above dark clouds and under a moonlit sky. She found a stone bench and sat down, rubbing her arms trying to comfort herself. She was weighing the odds and tried to find a way out of this. Marshall had her beat. She couldn't come forth with the information because now that Admiral Andsworth was declared a terrorist, and had 'evidence' to prove he had destroyed a UNSC ship, in Earth orbit no less, it would be impossible to save him. She also needed to act fast. Marshall's men could discover her hiding in the computer. She opened a link to Chris and prayed to God that he was listening.

* * *

"_Captain! Chris!_" NICOLE cried into his earpiece.

At once, the young man tapped the COM. "What's wrong, NICOLE?"

"_Marshall! He found Andsworth!_"

Oh no. Their last piece of cover was blown.

"Where are they?"

"_They're on the ship right now! They just killed the bridge crew!_"

"They did WHAT?" He cried out. He paused and leaned up against the wall. Many passersby looked at him with suspicion and fright, as a man with a weapon had just shouted out in the middle of the street. Borne, Konstantinos and Reyes looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" Reyes asked.

"Marshall's goons just attacked the _Burro_. They killed a large part of the crew."

"Was he there though?" Borne asked.

"_No, he wasn't. Quickly though! Get me out of here and I'll explain more_!"

They had to think fast since they assumed she was in danger. Konstantinos offered up their personal computer uplinks.

"Those things don't have enough memory on their own." Borne noted.

"I have her console." Chris said quickly. He took out NICOLE's home device and opened it up. "OK. Lock on to the signal and transfer!"

"_I found it! Hang on._" It was ten agonizing seconds as they waited for her to send herself across a vast distance. Transferring a whole AI from a ship to a planet's surface took a LOT of runtime, and it was possible to have packet loss in the process. In other words, some of her might not be able to reach the intended destination. But NICOLE was a smart thing. She could avoid a nasty complication like that.

At least, they thought so.

After those ten agonizing seconds, she exhaled with such clarity and emotion that for a brief second, they mistook NICOLE for an organic being and not a computer construct. She projected herself life-size.

"Thanks guys."

"Any time." Chris said.

A curious citizen walked up to them and spoke in English, "Hey, nice AI! Where can I get a model like that?"

"Not for sale. Buzz off!" Chris snapped.

The citizen frowned slightly and walked away. They thought that NICOLE's holographic form was a bit of an attention grabber, so they promptly moved into an alley away from the public movements.

"How are you feeling?" Borne asked.

"I… I was so scared. I thought they were going to delete me."

"You mean, kill you." Chris whispered.

NICOLE looked at her human friend and nodded. "Yes. Kill me."

"Tell us more about what happened." Reyes asked. He moved to the alleyway entrance to watch for suspicious characters, but he kept an ear open for what she had to say.

NICOLE paced around on the ground, limited of course in how far she could move around, but she remembered the incident clearly. "I saw a group of men with black armor on storm the bridge of the _Burro_ and held everyone at gunpoint."

"Were they Spartans?" Chris asked.

"No. They weren't. Just a Black Ops team in Marshall's pocket. But they… they shot Xander first… then they shot the rest!"

"You just can't do that." Konstantinos said. "I know Marshall was an ass before this, but this isn't right."

"I've seen a lot of things that haven't been right over the last few weeks." NICOLE said.

Chris said, "What about the Admiral?"

"He's fine." NICOLE admitted. "Well, he was knocked out and taken with ONI. Him and Xander anyway."

Reyes called Chris over, "Captain, the civvies are starting to get excited about something."

"What's up?" The young man asked.

"I was about to get to that, Chris." NICOLE said quietly. "Marshall… he detonated the fusion reactors of a nearby UNSC ship, and blamed it on Andsworth."

There was silence for a few seconds that was only penetrated by the excited shouting in Japanese in the background.

"Motherfucker." Vennettilli cursed. Then, he said nothing.

Borne shook his head. "You know what that means, right? It means that there's another person that Marshall gets to crucify as terrorists. He has you, the Princess, and the Admiral up against the wall. The evidence is stacked against us. Nothing but a direct confession or documents, or something will convince people otherwise."

Chris nodded. "Even more reason to get inside that ONI base. NICOLE, are we getting close?"

"Check your HUD, Chris. You should be near the pumping station."

He glanced up and saw that the distance had really closed. They were a mere hundred meters from the objective. The Marine checked his map and plotted a course through the alley.

"Keep to the backroads." He ordered. "That way we can avoid attention more."

They walked for a few minutes when Will spoke up. "You know, here's something I can't understand: we're carrying military weaponry, and nobody's saying anything about it. You'd get reported for walking around like this back on Mobius."

"People here are a bit used to armed personnel walking around." Chris explained. "Security beefed up after the invasion, and it kind of stuck. As long as we look official, nobody will question us."

"We _do_ look official, right sir?" Reyes humorously said.

"We look ruggedly handsome, I think." The Captain said with enthusiasm. "NICOLE, how would you grade us?"

"_Beyond sexy, Captain_. _I'm sure you get all the ladies_."

"Damn right I do. You guys look alright as well."

The rag-tag group laughed heartily. It was a way to keep their spirits up in the face of overwhelming odds. They weren't supermen. They were just regular people in an unlikely position. If they were Spartans, or if they all had the powers of the Almighty Sonic himself, they would have been proud to the point of cockiness, but they weren't.

Borne added, "Well, I mean that's to be expected right? Here we are, slugging it through the netherlevels of Japan to save a princess, PMC contractors, overthrow a corrupt president, and pretty much save all of Humanity without anyone realizing it. Holy crap, that's the stuff that _legends_ are based on."

"You hear that, Marines?" Chris asked, "They're going to make songs about us one day!"

"Oorah!" They said in agreement.

* * *

The NAV point was very close now. Less than fifty meters away. At the end of an alley, a chain link fence blocked their path. The team ran up to it and looked through. The pumping station looked legitimate in every sense of the word. A sign attached to the side of a building nearby said 'TOKYO MUNICIPAL PUMPING STATION 7'. The pumping building itself seemed innocent enough as well. It was utilitarian, but had pipes and pumps over the roofs and near the entrance. If it wasn't for the black, unmarked SUVs scattered around the parking lot, they would have sworn they had the wrong building. Chris decided to ask anyway.

"NICOLE, are you ABSOLUTELY certain that this is where the military signals are coming from?"

"_I wouldn't lie about something like this. The coded frequencies are coming from that tower… but I'm getting more signals underground_."

"Well that settles it." Borne nodded. "We're hitting this baby hard.

"_Not so fast, Sergeant Borne. A full frontal assault is completely out of the question. You of all people should know that._"

"Yeah, I know… then how are we getting in?"

Reyes shrugged. "Well… it IS a pumping station. It's connected to the sewers then."

"_Even though this is a façade, I believe that Corporal Reyes is correct. There are multiple manhole covers scattered around, and if I am seeing properly, there is an aqueduct access pipe directly below your position_."

The Marines gazed through the chain link fence and looked down. They were indeed standing above an artificial channel. Runoff from the city was being sucked into the pipes, where some would presumably be cleaned. Whether that was actually what was going on was up for debate.

"That's our ticket in." Chris said. "Easier than I expected.

Born winced slightly, revealing his left canine. "Ugh… do we have to?"

Chris turned to face him wearing an amused and regretful smile. "If we had another plan, I would do it. One way or another, we're taking a bath, guys."

"Oh, this is not going to be good." Reyes groaned.

Vennettilli and Konstantinos cut the gate with their knives. It took a while to get through enough of the links to the point where the gate could simply be kicked in. Reyes and Borne stood watch up the alleyway in case they got any uninvited guests.

"Hey Borne." Reyes asked.

"Yeah, Reyes?"

"Suppose the UNSC and Mobius _do _go to war after this?"

"Don't say stuff like that."

"Just a 'what if' scenario."

"Alright, what if we did?"

"What side would you be on?"

"An excellent question!" Chris said as an aside as he worked through another link.

There was a minute of genuine confusion from William Borne. The Mobian Marine put down his rifle and leaned up against the wall. He tapped his chin in thought. "What side would I be on… Gosh, that IS a good question. I think the honest answer is that I don't know."

Reyes shrugged. "I mean, it's not an easy question to be sure. We know the truth though, right?"

"Yeah, we know the truth." Borne said in accordance. "So I suppose that we wouldn't join."

"Excellent answer." Chris said.

"I imagine that a lot of people won't be as conflicted." The Mobian said with newfound sadness. "Golly, there's actually a lot at stake here. He blinked quicker. We have the fate of our entire political relationship right in the palms of our hands. If we fail… a war's inevitable. Marshall's got enough to accuse the Mobians of starting a conflict, and the Mobians will strike back."

"What's worse is that a Mobian defeat is imminent." Chris admitted. "They don't have enough technology to stop a full-on assault." He yanked through another link.

"Why not just close the gate? Separate Earth from Mobius permanently?" Konstantinos asked.

"_Nice idea, but that option isn't possible anymore. Once Mobius and Earth were linked, there was a way to 'tell' where Mobius was in Existence. Like a cosmic phone number. Once that was known, one can simply input it to jump there from Earth._"

"Yeah, how do you think we got there in the first place?" Chris asked.

"Were you really on the _Indomitable, _sir?" Konstantinos asked.

"Yeah. I was the first person to meet a Mobian… after a thousand years."

"Wow. You must have been honored."

"I was horrified!" Chris laughed loudly. "Don't worry guys. We'll end this, get Marshall in a cell, and all go home to watch our stories!"

"_And YOU, mister, have a wedding to plan_." NICOLE whispered to Chris.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The Captain groaned. "Alright, I think we have it through. Alex, give it a kick with me." Both he and Konstaninos wound up and kicked the chain link fence with their boots. After a few kicks, it started to give way, and then fell off the alley. The fence fell into the channel, leaving them free to go down the side of the wall.

It wasn't too steep - roughly a fifty degree angle; enough for them to walk down. They took a quick glance at the sky for air units. They didn't see any; just the floof for the upper city.

"Move out, Marines. Keep it quick!"

The four men jogged down the wall, careful not to slip and fall into the channel. Even though the river itself was small, the discharge seemed rather powerful – more than enough to sweep them down the path. Chris got a running jump and made it across the river. Borne got even _more_ speed and cleared the water without even breaking a sweat. He caught himself and then steadied against the concrete. Reyes took a powerful leap but almost lost his balance. Chris reached out to grab the man. Reyes grabbed the outstretched arm and smiled. "Oh man, that could have been bad."

Lastly was Konstantinos. He was shorter than the other men but got good speed. His jump was a bit short though. The jet propelled water nearly swept his foot from under him, but the others grabbed him and brought the startled Greek Marine to safety. They smiled in satisfaction and looked for a way into the facility. The pumping station's entrance was not far away, but they wanted the stealthy approach. The best way to get in would be through an access sewer that sucked water in. One wasn't too far from them, so they double timed it down the channel and jumped inside.

The water was up to their ankles. Thankfully, the rubbed and leather on their boots kept their toes nice and dry. Things would get a bit wet if it was very much higher though.

"Man, it stinks in here." Borne said in disgust.

"How's that enhanced sense of smell treating you right now?" Chris joked.

"I would still take it over yours, Human. How many do you have? Only 5 million?"

"Yeah, but I don't think this sewer's getting out of your nose for a while. Damn, another grate."

This one would be a bit more difficult to get through. It was made of steel, but was a bit thicker than that of the chain link fence.

"Anybody have some thermite?"

"On me." Reyes announced. The large Marine grabbed the pyrotechnic powder and placed it around the bolts protecting the grate. He took a lighter and was ready to burn it. "Cover your eyes, people." He closed them tight and lit the powder. It burned brightly for a few seconds as the metal bolts were melted by the intense heat. After that, the grate fell effortlessly.

"Powerful stuff!" Borne remarked.

They moved through the broken grate and proceeded further up the tunnel, making sure they didn't make very much noise, just in case anybody was listening.

"NICOLE, any surprises waiting for us around here?"

"_Doing a scan, Chris. I'm not detecting anything further up this tunnel. No motion sensors, detectors, or traps that I can find. I think you're safe for the time being_." Five minutes later, they encountered a door that was clearly military. Its design was something that he would never expect a municipal building to have. Chris tapped the door control carefully and had his Narada up to bear. The room was pitch dark, but there was a hum of electricity.

"NICOLE, lights." Chris whispered. He plucked the AI's case and held it in front of him. The powerful light scanned the area. The humming was coming from a generator to their left, and a line of turbines accompanied it.

"_I think we're in a power generation station. If I'm reading this correctly, we are no within the ONI facility_."

Chris found a stair step and sat down. His eyes began to adjust to the dark so he could figure out where he was better. "Alright guys, take five and catch your breath. We need to do some planning. As of this moment, we have successfully infiltrated the Office of Naval Intelligence."


	25. Chapter 25: In Conspectu Mendaces

Chapter 25: In Conspectu Mendaces  
June 9th, 3239, 1620 hours  
The Office of Naval Intelligence  
Shinjuku District, Tokyo, Earth

The darkness of the maintenance room kept an air of insecurity among the Marines as they were still coming to terms with the fact that they were inside of Naval Intelligence. NICOLE's light was the only thing that was keeping them still. The powerful beam coming from her console cast mean-looking shadows across the walls. Barrels appeared twice as high as they actually were, and several shadows appeared to have the form of a Human being, causing some gasps from the men.

Borne and Konstantinos stayed near the door to the storage room with their weapons close by should someone decide to come in. They were totally still, blending into the darkness unless you knew where to look. Reyes was with Vennettilli as he consulted NICOLE.

"We have to acknowledge the fact though sir that we have no knowledge of the floor plan, or even how far this building goes into the ground."

"Well, if my short internment in an ONI holding cell has taught me anything, Reyes, it's that they like to hide things deep in the earth. It's just their way. I have a funny feeling that there's still a whole lot more to this facility than we are seeing a ground level."

"I'll take your word on that one, sir." Reyes gave a quick flash of a smile.

Chris scratched his scalp and noted that his hair had been much longer than regulation length for quite some time now, but he rubbed his smooth jaw. _I need a haircut once this is all over_. "NICOLE, can you tell me about the ship that was destroyed in orbit?"

The Mobian lynx's hologram nodded. "I can do that. The ship was called the _Reaper_, an _Orpheus_-class heavy frigate, crewed by about three hundred and sporting a Heavy MAC cannon."

"Three hundred. What a waste." Reyes breathed. "You said it was destroyed in orbit?"

"Yes, Reyes." NICOLE reported. "Fetching ships are trying to gather as many large chunks of debris as they can. However, reports are stating that they won't be able to destroy some of the pieces that are already entering the atmosphere. They will try to deflect them so that they burn up over the oceans or uninhabited land. There's no danger of anyone getting hurt."

"Any surviviors?" Chris asked, almost in desperation.

"Chris, I'm sorry, but I've checked about twelve news sources, and none of them report finding any survivors." She paused. "They found plenty of dead though."

Borne called over, "A clean job of it. Make sure nobody lives to tell about the deception."

"If Marshall weren't such an ass about it, I'd call it brilliance." Reyes stated.

Chris' brow furrowed. _Reaper_. Where did he know that name? He could have sworn that the name had come up in some combat reports or something. _Reaper_. Did he hear it over Talahan, or on one of the other worlds he had been shifted to? It was gnawing at him, but he couldn't focus on it.

He put that out of his mind and focused on a course of action. Borne had seen the most of the facility on the times he was debriefed here, which was, ironically, very little of it. He followed a set series of passageways that led to a meeting room. He was sure that he passed a brig, but the only monkey wrench in this plan was that the directions would only be helpful if he remembered where the entrance passageway was.

He was just as lost as the others were.

So, naturally, they would have to rely on NICOLE's unique talents for mapping and intrusion again.

"Our primary objective is recon then." Chris said, taking a knee. "Map our current location outside of this door for our move. If possible, we should locate a directory which will show us where the brig is. From there, we break out whoever is being held in there."

"_Are we assuming that there will be armed guards, sir_?"

The voice didn't come from any of the Marines, but a shimmering shade that was to his right. He gazed at it and recognized it as Bruce Aer, a Private First Class that actually survived the whole war with distinction. Aer was never in Benedict's Squad like Chris was though.

"Armed guards are a possibility, so we are going to be carrying concealable weapons only. I hazard to guess that the best course of action will be to hide our guns."

"_But we're breaking into a brig, Vennettilli. There'll be weapon detectors, metal detectors, whatever the hell they can toss at us so that weapons can't be smuggled to prisoners_."

Lieutenant Kapplin was to his left with a scar running under his left eye. Chris couldn't remember Kapplin ever having a scar.

"Yeah, expect detectors of some kind. If they ask to relinquish our weapons, that will be the signal for NICOLE to disable all of the cameras in the room with an EMP pulse and we can do what we do best."

Borne raised an eyebrow. "She can do all that?"

The AI smiled. "I am _very_ versitile, Sergeant Borne."

"This is ONI we're talking about here." The Mobian said. "The most paranoid military organization in pretty much all of Known Space. They probably have backup systems of their backup systems."

"_They probably even put cameras in the urinals_. _Nowhere to hide._" Kapplin said lighting a cigarette.

Chris smiled at the shade's joke.

"Speaking of paranoid," he then said, "do a quick search to see how many Mobians are in the roster at this ONI facility."

NICOLE nodded and put a hand to her forehead. She searched through data silently to get a roster for all Operatives here. "Nothing but a whopping zero. There are no Mobians that hold any positions here in this ONI base, although I am seeing about twelve Galvente Majors in office…"

"_Irrelevant_." Kapplin spat.

"Irrelevant." Chris repeated, or rather, stated on his own. "No Mobians means that Borne will stick out like a sore thumb. If ONI's as paranoid as they lead us to be, they'll report you very easily. No offense, but Humans would blend in a lot easier."

"No offense taken." Borne acknowledged. "If I'm going to be more of a hindrance, I'll pull guard duty here in the dark."

"Very good then. Konstantinos, I want you shacking up with Borne. If anybody comes in unexpectedly, send them to slumberland."

"I'll do that, sir."

"Reyes, I want you with me. You're a rather large individual. Less chance that they'll stop us if you're walking around with me. Hell, you could pass for a Hunter if you were half a foot taller."

"You're making me blush, Captain." The Marine smiled.

"I'll be taking NICOLE with me for hacking into other devices around the base. We'll keep in contact if we can reach you from the Brig. If there's a chance you might be compromised, get the hell out the same way we came."

"Not to state the obvious, Human, but you'll have no backup that way." NICOLE said.

"It's me they want." The Captain said. "If I can get to the brig and free Roan, Jackson, Sally, or even the Major, I'll have a shot of getting out of this place. Do not come in after us if the operation's FUBAR, clear?"

"Yes, sir." They nodded.

However, the shades of his former colleagues stood at attention.

"_Screw that, sir_!" Jeff Winston's shade said, uncharacteristically loud. "_We're with you every step of the way!_"

Chris didn't acknowledge them, even though he really wanted to. He knew what the others would think. They would think he was talking to people that weren't there.

They'd think he was crazy.

He wasn't crazy.

Maybe _they_ were the crazy ones.

But he wouldn't say anything. He did smile though. Because of the darkness, it seemed that the action was lost to most of his companions, but NICOLE narrowed her holographic eyes at the Human, and made a mental note that something appeared to be accelerating in his - she had to say it - _insanity_.

She was starting to get really, _really_ uncomfortable watching what was happening in front of her. He was smiling and looking around… as if he was seeing something they couldn't. Oh well, at least he wasn't trying to bash his head in for the time being, but she knew that she should not stand by while he was going to do something really _wrong_. Out of love for her friend, she held her tongue.

"We'd better get moving. Our time's running out."

Chris snapped out of it immediately. "Agreed. Reyes, keep your pistol on you. Leave your rifle here."

"You've got it." He passed his gun to Borne, who grabbed it by the handguard. "Keep her safe for me."

"No problem."

Before they left, Chris picked up NICOLE's console and clipped it onto his utility belt. "Comfortable?" he asked with a half smile.

"I can't complain. How are _you_ doing?"

Chris' smile fell slightly. "Ah… I've felt better."

"Clearly."

"Is there something you want to talk about, NICOLE?"

"No. Nothing at all."

* * *

With handguns placed in their hip holsters, they walked out of the storage room into a large atrium. "What the hell is this?" the Captain said with his jaw dropping.

Chris had been in an ONI facility once before, and it had looked _nothing_ like this. While the ONI building on Mobius had a lot of white synthetic material, metal, and hard plastics contrasted with grey granite floors, the floors were made of what he thought was solid, black, polished obsidian that had such reflectivity that they were perfectly mirrored in it. In the center of the atrium stood a floating slab of stone. It was in the shape of a square base pyramid, also highly polished black obsidian with the single ivory white All Seeing Eye staring down at them. Reyes and Chris looked at the slowly spinning pyramid and scowled. "Yuck. Modern Art."

Reyes cracked a smile. "Just ignore it, sir. We're gonna find that directory, right?"

"You'd be right." The younger man nodded. "Don't get too close to anyone." He pulled the ship cap further down on his head, shielding his eyes. "If anybody asks, we're here for a debrief."

"Yes, sir."

They worked to avoid the moving Naval personnel in full dress uniform. Because they all had somewhere to be, they really didn't seem to pay these two intruders much attention. If not for a 'sorry' or 'pardon me' every now and then, they would be invisible.

"_If I were sneaking in_," Kapplin's shade said, "_I'd want to steal a uniform_."

Funny, the thought was also on his mind as well. "I just realized that we're going to need to get our hands on a uniform if we're going to get any further into the facility."

"_Good thinking. There's got to be a locker room around here somewhere._" NICOLE said.

They wandered around the atrium and surrounding area while NICOLE did a little peeking through security cameras. "_I've got one about a floor beneath you. There should be a stairwell somewhere around here that'll take you down. And hurry up, will you? I can't distract the security system's AI forever._"

* * *

Ryan, Johnson, and the Human known as Jolee Bindo were one of the few people that the royals could trust nowadays. The King and Queen of Knothole were becoming more and more frightened by current events. After officially losing power and possession of the Kingdom where they served as regents, their daughter had now gone missing. Whatever political push they had was being strained. So, they wanted someone to look into all of this. Since the Captain was missing, their daughter was missing, Sonic and Bunnie Rabbot were missing, they had to entrust some of their closest friends.

The grounds were quiet in the mid afternoon with fountains flowing in the background. The trio of men walked to the last place anybody saw Princess Sally. Johnson took a puff of his cigar and looked around.

"This ain't gonna be easy. The guards didn't see anything at all. We have nothing to go on."

Bindo adjusted his jacket, a far cry from the robe he usually wore. "Calm down, sonny. We just have to think where she would have been in the first place. You ever go someplace to think when you're angry?"

Johnson said, "Yeah, my cigar." With that, he took a drag.

"Jolee, can't you just use the Force to help us find the Princess?" Ryan asked. "It was pretty useful when you were slugging it across the other galaxy with the Captain."

The old exiled Jedi sighed sadly. "Hmm… if only it were that easy, kid. You know, nobody really knows the extent of the Force, but it seems like it picks and chooses which universe it wants to work in."

"Oh, right. The Force just turns off here." Ryan said, shoulders dropping. "Oh man, that sucks."

"Yeah, kid. It sucks something fierce." The old Jedi said. "But, I DID live on Wookieeworld for the past twenty years. I know a thing or two about tracking."

"Then by all means," Ryan said, waving his hand in a bow, "Let's watch the expert work!"

Jolee huffed. He made that sort of noise when he was amused. "Take notes." He said. The old Jedi got down on his knee and looked around. He did everything from test the wind to practically looking at every blade of grass. He gave a realizing hum. "Hmmm. Hmmm."

"What, you're not going to taste the grass? Just to be sure?" Ryan asked.

"Shush!" Bindo bit back. "I don't know for certain, but it looks like there was some sort of struggle.

"A struggle?" Johnson asked. "One sided?"

"Oh, sure looks that way. Can you see the way the grass parts? The way the land lowers in the subtle ways?"

"No. Where did you see that?"

"Here. You see this footprint?" He pointed a finger towards a depression in the ground. "Have to be something pretty heavy to make a footprint like that."

"Well, I know of plenty heavy things in this universe. One is a tank… and the other is a tank that walks."

"Oh man, you're talking about_ Spartans_?" Ryan asked. "Well, there goes the day."

Johnson took a puff on his cigar. "Pipe down, Percy. There's more to this story that simply Spartans."

Jolee chuckled and looked into the forest. "Indeed you're right, Sergeant. The tracks go straight into the forest. Looks like at least three people."

Ryan bit his lip. "They must have been carrying them on their shoulders. Not as suspicious as dragging them."

"Nah, they wouldn't drag." Johnson said walking towards the trees. "I've known enough Spartans to know that they treat prisoners with dignity. Now… substitute those Spartans with Brutes…"

"Ugh… now you're giving me nightmares."

"Yeah. I just did too." The sergeant said shaking his head. "Sorry."

The three men walked into the Great Forest, the woods that surrounded the castle. All around them were thick trees that extended for miles in all directions. It was pretty dim, but sunlight poked through the canopy. All around them, they saw life. A pair of Terran foxes watched the Humans with curious eyes. They sniffed the air as Jolee passed by them and one of them even barked in surprise.

Jolee smiled at the creatures. "So, that's what Mobians are descended from."

"Hell of a family tree, ain't it?" Johnson growled. The Sergeant noticed a couple trees were cut down, and an ax lay beside the trunk. "Woodcutters?" He rolled the tool over in his hand, examining the design. It had to be one of Human make. It was light, probably made out of titanium, and the head was punctured with three holes spaced out as a triangle. "This doesn't seem like a lumber zone."

"This close to the palace?" Jolee weighed in. "I doubt it."

"This axe doesn't look Mobian-made. The design doesn't fit."

Ryan said, "Well maybe it was sold on Mobius."

Yeah, it could have been. Johnson put the ax right back to where he found it and the trio continued farther and farther into the woods. The trees got taller and taller. Soon, the woods were blocking out a decent amount of sunlight. Under better circumstances, this would be a very nice nature walk. Deer bounded in the distance, and birds called from the trees. A calm breeze blew through the trees. Jolee sighed in appreciation. This was somewhat similar to what he experienced back on Kashyyyk, minus the three kilometer high wroshyr trees. "See this, boys? This is nature. Not like Coruscant. Always keep in touch with nature."

"Duly noted." Johnson growled. He took a drag on his cigar and sighed appreciatively. He tapped the Sweet William. "And this is getting in touch with nature too!"

"I'm sure your lungs would disagree in 20 years sonny."

"I'm as old as you are!" Johnson pointed out. "I made it this far!"

"Sarge. Look up ahead!" Ryan called out. "The forest is breaking."

"Yeah? So we're coming to the edge of the forest."

"Not exactly. I spy more chopped trees."

He was right. The chopped trees that they saw earlier had come back with more strength. Up ahead through the break in the trees, a natural clearing beckoned them forward. Although, it looked like someone had tried to extend the clearing by chopping down the trees.

They didn't need to follow the tracks any further. They went towards a large scorch mark in the middle of the clearing. The trio of Humans could tell a landing site when they saw one.

"Well, looks like we found out where the tracks led." Jolee chuckled. "Looks like this clearing was used for a landing pad."

"You're not wrong, Jedi." Johnson. This place looks like a base of some sort. No equipment lying around aside from the ax. Looks like ONI was covering their tracks well."

"Well, nothing implicates them yet." Ryan shrugged. "We can't make an accusation."

"And we won't. Not yet." The Sergeant said. They all looked to the sky as they heard a roar. A passenger plane flew over their heads fairly low and in detail.

"Planes wouldn't fly this low unless they were just taking off. We must be getting close to the airport."

"Whatever ship landed here could blend in to local traffic."

Ryan looked around. "Just how long were these guys here for?"

"Too Long." Johnson said taking the cigar in his hands. "Look around for any more clues. Check that landing area with the scorched grass."

"Yeah Sarge. No problem." Ryan walked away from the pair and scouted around the area. He swept his eyes over the clearing and wondered why someone would want to land in the middle of nowhere like this. There was nothing covering the clearing, meaning that anybody who had half a brain from an airplane would spot them. If this was where your superhuman soldiers wanted to land, it wasn't a good place to do it. He suddenly shaded his eyes as the sun started to come out from behind the clouds. The flash was unexpected and squinted to fight it. But as soon as he did that, he saw it. A shadow.

"Uh… Sarge?"

"What?"

"You'd better get over here. Like, now."

Within seconds, the Sergeant Major and Jolee jogged over to the stunned Corporal. They too saw what he was pointing at. Johnson gulped and tapped Ryan's shoulder. "Percy… throw something."

Ryan looked around and found a baseball sized rock. He hefted it and threw it above the shadow. With a metallic _clank_, the rock seemingly bounced off thin air and rebounded towards the thrower.

_The ship was still there_.

"Oh boy. I think we're done here." Ryan said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." The Sergeant looked around the clearing and suddenly got very nervous. "Maybe they aren't around."

"Or…" Jolee speculated, "We could have been followed here."

"Nope! Nope! For Christ's sake, let's just get the hell out of here!" Ryan hissed.

Johnson decided to agree with Ryan. "We're out of here. If we move fast, maybe we can make it to the Freedom Fighter's secret base and lay low for a little while."

"Would they check for IFFs?" Ryan asked.

"If they weren't actively looking for us, probably not. The sooner we leave the better. Then we tell Their Majesties about this."

* * *

Chris and Reyes blended in quite well looking inconspicuous among other people in the ONI base. So far they've been lucky in avoiding eye contact. Despite his wrongful status as a terrorist and a murderer, the majority of the junior officers around him paid him no attention. People were going about their daily business bringing paper to another part of the building or sending new tactical announcements to ships in space. Thanks to the daily grind, Reyes and Vennettilli were invisible.

How long that would last for though, was totally up to fate.

"See a locker room?" He whispered to Reyes.

"Yeah. There it is." The Marine announced. "Also looks like we have a uniform donor." He nodded towards a Navy Lieutenant who opened the door and stepped inside. Before the door could slide closed, the Captain and Reyes shifted in.

The locker room as far more streamlined than that of a starship. The walls were angled in a way that the room seemed to resemble a trapezoid. A single light strip covered the ceiling. Lockers jutted out of the walls and each had a card lock on it. Chris felt a slight pang of jealousy. Even the locker rooms were much better for ONI. He took a glance around for his targets. He spotted the Lieutenant undoing his uniform collar. He would have to act fast.

The Captain put on a quick smile and approached the man. "Excuse me, sir."

"Yeah?" the man asked. "What is it, I'm off duty."

"You wouldn't happen to have the time, would you?"

The tired officer groaned and checked his wristwatch. "It's 5:40-"

Chris threw the hardest punch he could at the man's jaw and made sure he put all his weight behind it. The Lieutenant's head snapped to the right and hit off the locker's door. The man collapsed at once into unconsciousness.

"_Good hit!_" NICOLE said.

"Damn!" Reyes said, "Looks like you killed him!"

Chris checked the Lieutenant's pulse. "No need to make my tarnished reputation worse. He's fine, but he's going to get a hell of a bump in the morning." He removed the officer's uniform and tried it on. It was a good fit. "Oh!"

"What?" Reyes said, suddenly startled.

"I just realized! Watch isn't set to local time! Thanks, buddy!" He smiled at the unconscious man. "How do I look?"

"Very nice, Lieutenant Goddard. What do we do about our friend?"

"The showers will be fine." Chris said. "Hmm…" He picked up the Lieutenant's ID card and stuck it into the card reader. The door slid open to reveal the content of Goddard's locker. On the door itself, the officer had a photo of what he assumed was his wife. A smiling woman who was holding a fluffy dog in her hands. Chris felt momentarily bad for what he just did, but moved it out of his mind as he scoured through the locked for more things. He spotted a couple of pistol magazines that looked like they would fit his gun and slid them in his pocket. He then smiled as he found a pair of eyeglasses on the middle shelf. This would probably come in handy. He looked the glasses over and tried them on. Apparently, Goddard was near-sighted and needed the glasses to see farther away. The room was fuzzy, but he fought the slight nausea. The last thing he did was put his utility belt around his waist so he would have his items.

"_All loaded up_?" The Mobian AI asked.

"I think so." The card will get me past a couple of security layers. Maybe even the brig itself. I hope."

"If not, I can always crack some heads." Reyes smiled. "Where's my uniform?"

"_They're after Chris, not you, Reyes._" NICOLE explained. You'll probably be invisible. Most of the personnel around here will be lower ranked anyway. They won't question you."

"What if they want my service number?"

"_I'll get back to you on that one_."

Chris nodded. "Let's go. I think I saw a directory outside."

"You don't look half bad with glasses, sir."

"Well, I _feel_ sick to my stomach. Why do people still wear these things?"

"Cheap, sir."

"Sure, OK." Chris and Reyes went back into the hall. They found what looked like a pedestal against the wall with a small white 'I' printed on it. That had to be an info panel of sorts. Chris tapped a button, and a floating logo of ONI appeared. Chris sneered as he looked into the single unblinking eye.

"_Welcome to the Office of Naval Intelligence Information Console #287. How can I assist you_?"

"I'd like directions to the Brig." Chris said evenly.

"_Certainly! Brig level can be reached by elevator terminal at the end of this hall._" The hologram shifted to a map of the current level. At the end of the hall, a tube extended down about ten levels. It looked like the brig itself was built into the bedrock. "_Be advised, Brig Access is restricted to Section 2 Operatives and higher_."

Chris breathed a sigh of relief when he looked at his badge and saw 'II' staring back at him. "Thank you_._" He said out of reflex.

"_You're welcome! Continue to serve the Navy well and expand the sphere of security!_"

"Sphere of security my ass…" Chris growled under his breath. "We're good, Reyes."

"Excellent, sir."

"_Hey Human,_" NICOLE whispered into his ear. "_Congratulations on your luck. Here's some more good news: I managed to pull some of Lieutenant Goddard's personal information from the database. Also, could you hold me in front of your face? And keep it straight, OK?_"

Chris did as told and held NICOLE's case in front of his face and made no reaction.

"_OK, got it! You now _ARE _Lieutenant Jerry Goddard_._ Congratulations, Human: your first true identity theft_."

"I feel so proud."

Reyes cracked a smile.

As they walked towards the elevators, NICOLE coached Chris on his new identity. "_You're 35 years old. You were born on Durandal. Your home address is 742 Duradi Crescent. Your wife's name is Marijana, middle name Adda, and lastly and by far the most important, you have a 2 year old Pomeranian named Chester._"

"A dog?"

"_Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many password questions that dog's name the answer is to. I mean, wow._"

"NICOLE, one thing though?"

"_Yes, Chris_?"

"Once this is all over, we never do this again."

"_I understand, Chris. Desperate times calls for desperate measures_."

"I wish it didn't…"

_"We all know that we have to do what we have to do_." A shade whispered out of the air. Dean Sheppard said, "_We don't blame you_."

"I blame myself." He whispered this in a low voice so nobody would hear. They mustn't hear this.

The ghost of Lieutenant Kapplin appeared, strips of flesh hanging off his face, his nose missing, and one eye bloody red. "_You know, maybe he's right. Maybe we _should_ blame him_."

"_Knock it off, LT, it's in the past._"

"_It's not fair that he gets to live and we had to die! I say we have some payback_!"

_You're not real. None of you are real. Get out of my head! You're not real!_

"_Oh no… we're as real as we want to be._" Kapplin gritted his teeth.

_You can't hurt me_.

Kapplin's ghost wrapped his hand around Chris skull and squeezed. Pain gripped the Captain's brain as he tried to keep it in. His tongue started to feel like it was being zapped.

"_Maybe you don't understand. I can do. Whatever. I. WANT. With. YOU!_" the ghost chuckled and looked at Sheppard's shade. "_Did you know that this man left me to die? He didn't even go into the jungle after I cried out in pain?_"

_NO!_ he shouted in his mind. _I DIDN'T!_

_ "Damn right he didn't. Just let them take me and do… THIS to me! Just because we couldn't play nice_!"

Dean's face suddenly changed. He looked sad, betrayed. "_Captain… is this true? You left Lieutenant Kapplin to die_?"

_No…_

"_I… I thought you'd never leave a man behind._" Dean slowly faded into nothingness.

_NO!_

"_Well… looks like I can end your suffering once and for all. Put you out of your misery. It was a hell of a lot more than the Tallies gave me!_" Just as he was about to do unspeakable horrors to his mind, Reyes grabbed Chris' shoulders and shook hard.

"Sir! Sir, are you alright?!"

The hallway was nearly empty. A guard walked up to him. "Excuse me sir. Are you OK?"

"I'm OK." Chris said. "I was a bit lightheaded, that's all."

"Probably the pressure." The guard said with concern. Do you need a doctor, Lieutenant?"

"No. No. I'm fine." Chris said. "Could you actually get the elevator open for me?"

The guard nodded. "Yeah, sure thing, sir." The concerned man walked over to the wall and tapped the elevator control switch. Seconds later, the wall slid open. Their ride was here. Reyes nodded to the guard and helped the Captain into the elevator. The tall Marine tapped a control for the basement. Chris half laughed in relief. "Man… we made it!" He tapped Goddard's ID badge. "Looks like we didn't need this thing after all."

"_I wouldn't calm down yet. You're just going down to a tighter security level. Expect people with guns._"

"Good." Chris nodded. "I can do more damage than with this pistol."

"_Actually, I would advocate the exact opposite._"

"Always the staunch tactician, aren't you?"

"_Always the stereotypical space marine, aren't you_?"

"Touché."

Before NICOLE could revel in her smugness, the elevator started to slow down.

"_Something's wrong. We're still far above the Brig level_."

The door opened and two men with peaked caps walked into the elevator. Chris saw stars on the men's shoulders and automatically saluted thanks to years of indoctrination. "Admirals on Deck!" Reyes did so immediately on seeing them.

The lead Admiral, a Rear Admiral to be precise, gave a quick smile but went back to being stony faced. "At ease Gentlemen. Just taking the elevator." The other admiral had a thick beard covering his chin. A spike of fear shot through Chris. He actually recognized these two men. The bearded man was Admiral Blake Jeromi, the man with an ax-crazy history that went before the Judge Advocate General and was thrown out of court before a verdict could be reached. Since after the incident involving ramming his ship into a Covenant cruiser and supposedly killing a commanding officer, nobody, absolutely nobody would cross Blake Jeromi. God help you if you did. He would fit well in ONI.

The other man he only recognized through the nametag. His name was 'Devenson, D'. Admiral Devenson was the person in charge on locating Shadow the Hedgehog after he first escaped custody five years ago during the Battle of Carson Valley. The Navy granted Devenson whole ships and was basically told to go wild by HIGHCOM and CENTCOM combined. Hell, the Royals gave this man their blessing. And a hell of a fucking job he did. Shadow evaded Devenson's men at every turn, and with a Chaos Emerald always hiding in his back pocket, he could teleport away at a moment's notice.

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant." Jeromi said. "We are going down, correct?"

"Absolutely sir."

The car started to move again, and the two Admirals started chattering to themselves. Chris couldn't listen in, but NICOLE would try to understand what was going on. Reyes tapped Chris' shoulder. "I… ah… may not have ever mentioned this before, but I've never seen an Admiral in person before. You know, aside from Andsworth."

Chris suppressed a smirk. "Don't trust them. An admiral can only be as good as his crew."

"Agreed, sir."

Ten seconds later, the elevator car came to a halt at the bottom of the shaft. They had finally reached the Brig level. Suddenly, Chris was now curious. He wanted to know what the Admirals were doing down here? This was where all of the interrogators chose to do their work, and the ONI angels of death sharpened their blades for their next assignment.

This place was too _dirty_ for the loft admirals, who sit in their cushy chair and order men to their deaths! They were only here to wring the deepest secrets from some poor bastard! The BASTARDS!

But he checked his anger. He could feel his blood pressure rising and breathed. Admiral Devenson and Jeromi exited the elevator. "Have a fine day Gentlemen." Jeromi called out before turning away. Reyes shrugged.

"You know, for a man who supposedly killed his old Captain, he's very polite."

"Yeah. I noticed that too. Let's get our bearings."

The prison level was much barer than the upper levels. Things were extravagant on the upper part of the facility. Whereas the first levels were shiny and high tech, the Brig was hard, grey, and squared away. Whatever needed to be seen were on computer screens embedded into the wall and guards patrolled the halls with riot shotguns. Chris and Reyes guessed that they were loaded with beanbag shells, judging from the green tint on the hull. The guards themselves were dressed in high-durability riot gear. High collars protected their necks, and their helmets had a hard transparent visor that revealed their grizzled faces. They seemed like a combination of a soldier and a football player at the same time. As Chris and Reyes passed the guard, the man's head tilted to follow the two as they passed. The guard's grip on the shotgun's grip tightened. Probably out of reflex. "Where do you think you're going?"

Chris bit his lip and turned to face the guard. "Lieutenant Goddard." He said, tapping the ID badge. "I have clearance to be down here."

The guard raised an eyebrow. "That better be a Level 2 pass."

"It is. See for yourself." Chris unclipped the badge and passed it to the man.

"Goddard… Goddard… Full Lieutenant… Section 1. What the hell is Section 1 doing down in the Dungeon?"

"We all have our reasons, my friend."

"And what reasons may that be?"

For a second, Kapplin's voice entered his head, "_Oh for Christ's sake. Just shoot him already_."

What shocked Chris was that his hand was already moving towards the pistol grip, and only a blast of will stopped him.

"I want to see some prisoners, alright? I want access to the cell block."

The guard shrugged. "Alright. You could have just said that in the first place. Alright Goddard. Follow me."

* * *

It was incredibly boring in the maintenance room. Sitting in half-light wasn't doing well for the rest of the men. Borne sat in a corner slowly hitting the back of his head against the wall. Konstantinos just paced the floor. They had been here for God knows how long just pissing time away waiting for the Captain and Reyes come back.

Borne was always a man who needed to be moving. He hated standing still. So after one final bored thud, he got up and started pacing with Konstantinos. "Alex, right?"

"Yeah. Alexander Konstantinos." The Marine said.

"How long have we been standing in here?"

Konstantinos checked his watch. "Well, just under two hours."

"Two hours is a long time to do nothing. We should be out there, man!"

"You heard the Captain. The minute you stick that muzzle of yours out there, they're going to get an agent to tackle you. Then they go to interrogation."

"What do you think they'd ask question us about?"

"Hell if I know. I've never been in an interrogation."

"I've conducted a few."

Konstantinos leaned against a wall. "Oh that's right! You said you were a parajumper, right?"

"Yup! For the past couple years. I was told to get some 'Work Experience' to gain access to OMEGA. Turns out it was an invite only gig."

"And how did you do that?"

"I was an ODST Parajumper. My pod opened well above the surface and I parachuted down behind enemy lines. Turns out this wasn't a very sought after job in the branch."

"So, what was your job then?"

"Assault, sabotage, reconnaissance, sometimes medical. I'm actually trained to give basic medicine."

Konstaninos nodded in appreciation. "Well, no offense, but I hope we're never in need of your services."

"None taken. I hope I never have to use them." He chuckled. "Answer me this: what's your story?"

Alex's eyebrows bounced. "Me? Well, I'm nowhere near as interesting as you."

"Well we're here."

"I was born in Athens. My family moved to North America when I was ten, so I retained my Greek citizenship. The Corps was an easy way off the planet, so I enlisted in '32, after the Talahan Conflict. Didn't have to fight, but I was still on-hand to help the other men leave the planet. Seriously, what a terrible planet."

"You know, every single planet can't be 100% terrible." Borne reasoned. "There are parts of Mobius I hate, but it isn't terrible."

"It wasn't the planet, but it was the way things were run. Corporations owned entire cities. People lived in a place where everything they owned was purchased from the company. I wouldn't even call that a government."

"That's pretty bad."

"The only place where things get better are the Taigas. It's cooler up there, but no corporate city-states. But, that was only Talahan. I curse the day I ever laid hands on one of those Chaos Emeralds. That was four years later. Wouldn't you know it, I just happened to pick it up when on a march."

"What was the story behind _that_?"

"Sousex II. Another resort planet. Planet was struck by an asteroid two hundred thousand years ago and put a spin on the planet. The place was originally tidally locked to the star. Now it all gets a nice even bronzing."

"Wow. Sounds like fun."

"So, the date was March 17th, 3235. Routine patrol, and in a sandy hill of red, I spotted a glint of violet looking back at me. I broke away from the platoon and picked it up. It looked like a carved cylinder. It barely had any weight. There's no way that this could have come from underground, like you'd expect a jewel to. I looked it over and, thanks to regulation, handed it over the Sergeant." He shook his head. "If I was a civilian. I'd be able to keep that thing over my fireplace back home in Michigan, but no… I had to pick up the ancient alien supercomputer or… whatever the hell it is. And now I have men after me trying to kill me."

"I'm sorry. I wish I knew what that felt like. Having that burden."

"Yeah. Being a Human sucks sometimes."

"Dude, being a Mobian is even worse."

Borne's ears twitched as he heard noises from outside the door. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Konstantinos asked.

"Hide."

"Hide? Where?"

"Find a… a crevice, or a box, or something!"

The men fumbled around in the darkness. Konstantinos found himself a nice cubbyhole behind a stack of metal crates. In the darkness, he would be invisible. Borne on the other hand, with his superior night vision, had a better time finding a much more creative spot. He saw that the turbines in the back of the room had something like a trench of some sort surrounding it. He was about to make a mad dash to the trench when he realized that he left his gun out in the open. He sprinted to pick the rifle up and ran as fast as he could to cover.

"Oh damn, oh damn, oh damn, oh DAMN!" He cursed repeatedly as he made ready to slide into the trench. However, once he slid in, his stomach dropped. What he thought was a trench was a _chasm_. Below him was a tunnel extending into nothingness. A row of turbines and other power devices went down. However, this was the only glimpse he got as he started to fall. Before a scream left him, he thudded on a catwalk that encircled the trench. So all that left him was a rush of exhaled air. Not a moment too soon. The door to the power room opened up.

"So I heard that the boys 2 floors down are having a poker game tomorrow evening."

_Just play it cool. Billy_, Borne thought to himself. _Just don't do anything stupid._ He clutched his gun to his chest and just waited for them to leave.

"Who turned the lights off?"

"Sorry, that might have been me. Give me a second, I'll find them."

The lights flashed on and nearly blinded William. He shielded his eyes from the light, but said nothing. He was now exposed. Darkness was no longer his ally.

"Tenshi, run a diagnostic on the power control."

"Yeah, sure. Want me to run an operational test too?"

"Well, it's been about two weeks. Yeah, go nuts."

Borne gulped. He couldn't see the men, he couldn't hear where they were going, and on top of that, it sounded like one of them was going to walk right over him. He held his breath as he saw the technician walk on the upper catwalk. The man tapped on his console, oblivious to Borne's presence, and started the generators up.

Across the room, Konstantinos breathed a sigh of relief as the technicians seemed to ignore him entirely. The technician named Tenchi turned on the generators. Soon, the room had an audible hum to it that covered the technician's voices for the most part.

"How are the displays looking?" the head tech asked.

"Looking good. Turbines one through forty are responding with green."

"What about the other nine?"

"Hmm… They're performing at 89% efficiency."

"Can you boost them?"

"I'll have to spend some time recomputing it."

"Take all the time you need."

On the other side of the room, Borne grumbled and got ready for a long wait.

* * *

The brig door was up ahead. Chris bit his lip in anticipation. The guard was still at his side though, carefully holding his riot shotgun. Reyes stood solemnly though and swept his eyes across the hallway.

"That's the door there." The guard said. "You can just swipe in."

"Thank you, guardsman." Chris nodded.

"Yeah, sure." He turned around and walked back down the corridor.

The door was seven feet high and heavily fortified. The word 'DETENTION CENTER' was painted in bright white paint across the gunmetal gray door. A holographic card reader demanded identification. Chris took Goddard's stolen card and held it up to the reader. A thin sheet of light scanned the card.

"Goddard, Jerald, Lieutenant. Access Granted!"

The door split into three parts and folded away from the portal. Inside was the brig. Rows of clear cubes formed columns in this giant space. Each one had a person sitting inside.

"Holy crap. Look at this place." Reyes said. "Are these just regular criminals?"

"I dunno." Chris said. "They don't look happy in there."

Most of the prisoners looked like they were sent here from the JAG offices. A lot of them still wore fatigues. Many of them paced around the room. Chris passed a cell where a man with a shaved head sat on the ground and looked at the walls. Chris read the man's uniform as 'O'Conner'. The man hummed to himself and just looked at the walls. It took a couple seconds before Chris realized that the whole cell composed of a two-way mirror. The prisoners would only see their reflections in the material surrounding them. Chris was about to comment on O'Conner's seclusion when another voice shouted out.

"_GODDAMMIT! I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T MURDER HER!_"

Chris and Reyes whipped around. A man in his late thirties with a thick mustache pounded on the walls.

"_I DIDN'T KILL HER YOU SONS OF BITCHES!_"

"_Please step away from the glass_." A PA system announced.

"_I DID NOT KILL HER!_"

"_Step _away_ from the glass! NOW_!"

He refused. The man froze in place and writhed where he stood. He cried out and fell onto the ground, twitching and moaning.

"_Jesus Christ!_ They've electrified the floors!"

"That's disgusting." Chris said under his breath.

"_Welcome to the world of the government prison system_." NICOLE said dryly. "_Even the King and Queen weren't 100% clean in their treatment of really bad prisoners_."

Just to hammer her point home, they saw a couple of men standing in front of a cell. They wore guard uniforms with caps. One of the stifled a laugh. "So, what do you think? Jonesy's gonna give us those names?"

The other man smiled and shook his head. "Nah. Bastard's a hard-ass. But, once Ludo's done with him… I think he'll be ready to talk."

A Hunter supersoldier entered the cell. The man stood so tall he had to duck under the cell entrance. The prisoner fell over and backed against the cell wall. "Aw man! Oh hell!" He cried.

"Want to talk?" the first guard asked.

The prisoner Jonesy bit his lip.

"He Ludo, rough him up a little, will ya?"

The Hunter cracked his neck and chuckled. "Watch and learn, gentlemen."

Before the screams began, Chris turned away and walked on. Reyes followed the troubled young man quickly.

"_Looks painful, doesn't it_?" Kapplin's shade said. "_Well, we can't all be that lucky, can we, captain_?" The ghost's face was even more mutilated. His eyes were torn out of his head, his jaw was exposed. His rib-cage was smashed in. His hair was ragged, and patches of flesh were missing from his body. "_This was how they found me. You know this. You saw the photos. You were glad I was gone_…"

"Go away. You aren't real…" Chris pleaded. His voice was small.

Kapplin stood inside an empty cell. "_This reminds me of where I died._" He clicked his jaw. "_We find it comfortable_. _Sheppard, what do you think of this_?"

Dean appeared in the cell. Chris' stomach lurched as he noticed that half his head was missing right of his nose. That was where the sniper got him. "_I should have known you were a snake! It's all your fault! _"

"_You're not real. Leave me alone!_"

"_You can ignore us for all you, like_." Kapplin cooed. "_But we're not going anywhere. We're all right in here_." Kapplin placed a ragged finger to his skull and what was left of his face spread into a smile. "Bang." His head exploded.

Chris gasped out of fear. Brain matter covered the glass. He turned away to look at Reyes. "I'm going insane. I'm going insane…" But Reyes wasn't there. Instead, it was Sally. A smile much wider than her mouth would have allowed covered her face. Her eyes were more distant than comfortable. Trickles of blood ran down her cheeks. She had been weeping sanguine tears.

"Don't pay attention to them. I still love you." She curled her fingers around his chin. "These cells are comfy. We should stay in one!" Sally heard the cries of one of the prisoners. "Oh! You hear that? That's the sound of love!" She nuzzled her cheek against his.

She felt cold. Cold as a corpse. Colder than ice. "I wanted your heart, but you wouldn't give it to me!" She suddenly placed her hands to her cheeks. "Oh! I almost forgot! It was your birthday! I had a gift somewhere… ah, I remember!" The gash that Chris put in her chest was still there, seeping blood. She took her hand and plunged it inside. With a twist and a pull, Sally pulled her beating heart out and held it towards Chris. Her eyes twinkled like the stars, but they were

"I got it just for you! Happy birthday, my beautiful Human."

_**THWACK**!_

Reyes fist flew across Chris' cheek, snapping the Captain back into reality. The force was so great that Chris twirled once. "OW! Dude, what the FUCK!"

Reyes fanned his fist. "Whoo! That was something. I thought I broke your jaw with that!"

Chris felt his cheek. It was tended. "Well it feels like it… I… thanks."

"_What did you see_?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's go. Now."

Even as they kept moving, NICOLE kept pestering. "_You were just standing there. What did you see?_"

"I was just standing there?"

"_Like a vegetable_."

"Scary."

"_What, that's all you have to say_?"

"Yeah. Should I be feeling anything else?"

There was a painful three second silence before NICOLE said, "_What the hell's wrong with this guy_?"

Chris didn't give her an answer. She couldn't understand. She wasn't real. Not really. She couldn't understand. She could never understand. And why should she? The burden was his! Not hers! And NICOLE thought that _she_ had the right to tell _him_ what he should feel! What a bitch!

_She didn't see what I saw_.

"VIP section dead ahead." Reyes said. "Better get that card ready.

Chris was happy to leave this section of the prison behind. Who knew how many more floors of tortured people were in here. In all respects, it would be very likely that military personnel that had contact with the Chaos Emeralds were here waiting for ONI's 'extraction' methods. A similar door at the west end of the prison stood marked 'HIGH SECURITY' with a flashing red light over it. Reyes and Chris walked up to the door business as usual. Chris swiped Goddard's card across the reader again. Much to his delight, it flashed green.

"We're in."

* * *

The walls only showed her reflection. Sally had her knees up to her chin. She had stopped being scared a long time ago. She had no idea how long she was in this cage. There were no clocks. There were no windows. There were no sun lamps. All that was above her were the cold fluorescent lighting that buzzed slightly with a gas leak. She sniffed once and wiped away what was once a tear on her face. She remembered waking up in this cell, lying on her back, probably for protection. She thought she was alone at first, but there was another woman in her cell. She was a Mobian as well. She was a rabbit, and was wearing military clothing. At first, Sally assumed that she was with the UNSC, but then she saw that she was RAF. Her name was Hera. Major Abigail Hera.

Sally was so glad to see someone that she could talk to. The minute she was able to walk properly, she approached the woman and asked about her. Hera was very short with her, only saying her name and staying quiet. Sally wanted conversation, but Hera wasn't having any of it.

"Will you at least tell me what's wrong?"

"No." She said. "Nothing can change how I feel. Even though things aren't the same here."

Sally was confused. Hera wouldn't talk about it, and she could feel her anger. So Hera sat alone at the far end of the cell. Sally felt more alone now than ever before. She just wanted to go home. She was afraid of her own reflection. She was afraid of this cell. She was afraid about what was going to happen to her home. But worst of all was that she was afraid about what these men would do to her.

Would they kill her? By this point it would be a sweet mercy. She had very little to lose at this point. Where was Bunnie? Where was Sonic? Where was…

A noise! The door was opening to the cell block. Was someone coming? It was probably some corrupt Admiral coming to twirl their mustache at her. Maybe it was Marshall, come to personally tell her how better he was than her. She couldn't tell, but she wanted to get it over with. She wanted to be alone.

That's all she had left.

"NICOLE, lock it down."

Her ears twitched. Her head lifted.

"_I'm on it. Give me a second to hack into the controls. Hold me up to the IR port_."

Her ears twitched again. She got up curiously.

"_Done. The room should be secure. At least for the moment_."

She laughed quietly. A smile crossed her face. Her eyes opened wide. _Oh please. Let it be him._ She said nothing, but stood at the cell wall, looking into her own eyes. She could barely contain herself, but she wanted to _see_ him.

"Reyes, stand guard just in case someone decides to crack the code."

"Aye aye, sir."

There were computer sounds as someone manipulated the controls. A second later, the cell walls cleared up. Standing on the other side of the wall was the most beautiful thing she saw in a long time. It was a man. It was a man that had just proved to her than no distance was too great and nothing was too much as long as in the end, seeing each other was all that mattered.

He hurriedly took off the glasses he was wearing and stuffed them in his pocket. He tapped the gate controls. The door opened, and she ran.

He moved to her, and caught her. The Human wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her close to him. Not a word was spoken for a moment. Then, she spoke.

"You came _back_…!"

He whispered to her. "I promised."

She said nothing, but gave a cry of longing as she placed her head to his. Now it didn't matter what Marshall did to them.

They had each other again.


	26. Chapter 26: Revelations

Chapter 26: Revelations  
June 9th, 3239, 1810 hours  
The Detention Center  
Under Shinjuku District, Tokyo, Earth

For the first time in a long time, Sally Alicia Acorn knew peace. For the first time in many weeks of misfortunes and sadness, she felt happiness in her heart. Even though her friends were locked in here, even though the kingdom their family helped build was crashing down around them, and even though Marshall was taking everything from them all, she had him.

She had the man she had known for five years. They had gone through the worst together, and she wasn't going to go anywhere. Now that they were together again, she didn't want to part. Time had stopped as she hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. She loved this man. She didn't care what he looked like. She watched him grow from a battle-wearied young boy into a strong man who would do anything for her. Royalty be damned.

He said nothing though. He only held her tight. He blinked quickly, trying to disguise the tears that were starting to flow down his cheeks. He didn't have fur, so she saw every one slide down his skin. She smiled sweetly and wiped them away with her hand and cleared his eyes.

"Thank you." She said simply.

"For what?" He asked, making sure he stemmed the floodwaters.

"For keeping your promise." One more kiss. "Shall we get back to work?"

That was all it took. Chris was professional again. His tears were gone, replaced by eyes sharpened by years of experience. "Absolutely. I assume you'll want me to have tactical command?"

"I would like that. You did come down here after all."

Chris was about to answer when he noticed someone in the corner of his eye. Major Hera was slumped in the corner. She just stared into space fiddling with her fingers. Her ears were drawn back under her hair as always, but it was if she didn't even notice Chris enter. Or didn't care to notice. The Captain walked over to her and held a hand.

"Major?" He showed no emotion.

Hera looked up at him and just stared. "You took long enough to get here."

"Sorry. Forgot to bring the rescue platoon."

The joke failed to make her smile. She did hold out her hand though. Chris grabbed it and yanked the Mobian Air Force officer up. "How are you?" He stuck to smalltalk though. He had no idea who this woman was anymore. He might as well be talking to a complete stranger.

"I'll live. The flight here from Delta Halo wasn't very eventful. Roan tried to escape from containment mid-flight. Earned him a hard smack to the head from a guard. Don't comment on the black eye, OK?"

"I'll make sure I won't." He looked her square in the eyes, "Do you mind me asking you just who the hell you are?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I had a search done on you. You know that no record comes up on you in the RAF?"

Hera's eyes flickered a little bit, and she refused to make eye contact. Sally glanced at her. "You're not in the Air Force? Why are you wearing military clothing? You're not an imposter or something, are you?"

Chris frowned. "I don't think so. She's gone through too much trouble for that. I think that she's just been playing with us the whole time. Do you have an agenda, Major?"

"_No!_" She said insistently. "I'm not trying to do anything!"

"_Chris, she does seem to be telling the truth._"

"What concerns me, NICOLE," The Captain said, "is that you've been the least forthcoming with your personal information. Did you ever serve in the Air Force? Did you actually talk with the King and Queen about finding us?"

"What?" Sally said. "Now it's my turn to call BS. I've never seen you around the castle!"

"So how about it?" Chris growled. "Ready to come clean?"

Hera exhaled and just stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. "Alright. I'll tell you everything. Not like I have very much left." She leaned against the wall. "The reason you're even here right now may single handedly be from my actions."

"Care to explain?" The Human asked.

"I will. You see… what I told you before about asking the royals was technically true."

Sally snarled, "I already told you you're lying-"

"SHUSH!" Hera said. "Shut up!"

Sally stood there like a teapot under pressure, steam coming from her ears.

"It was technically true because I did ask the King and Queen… just not in this world."

Sally looked at her and she seemed to understand. "She's not from our universe." She declared.

"You thought that wouldn't be important?" Chris asked angrily. "That's kind of an important little detail, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't know how you'd react!"

Chris let his anger subside. He didn't want to lose control in front of Sally. "You have a story then? Why are you here?"

Hera shrugged "I can sum it up."

"_We have a bit of time_." NICOLE reported.

"Do it." Chris said. "And pray that answers some questions."

* * *

The world I came from was much like the one I'm in now. We called our planet Mobius. Our ancestors came from Earth as well, but things changed very quickly after we became intelligent. Civil war erupted, forcing the Human colonists into extinction. The Mobians thought they had the world to themselves. They thought that they were superior than any creature on the planet.

We were proud.

The Acorn family ruled us. They thought of themselves as the best, even among all others. It really felt like the Middle Ages under them. The only way to get anywhere in life was to gain status through any way we could. There was one day though when Humanity did come back by accident. A ship, similar to yours was stranded on Mobius with no way back home. Well, they spent years on Mobius, and it turns out they never found a way back home. At least as far as I knew. And yes, Human. You were also on that ship, a young Naval officer who was just as eager to go home.

Our people didn't take kindly to yours. After thousands of years of isolation, we were xenophobic. We hated them, but we did not attack them. Instead, we waited for Humanity to make a first strike. What's funny is that they never did. They only wanted to get home. They didn't get in our way, they didn't disrespect our government, they just stayed in their ship and studied. Sometimes they did come and mingle with us Mobians, but they were peaceful.

Three years. For three years it was like this, and then, a Human was killed, probably out of boredom which started a bloody conflict. Man fought Mobian, and man was losing. Some sought asylum in our farther cities. I told you that you were among the Human forces. You were in the war. You fought in the war. Your father and I… shared similarities. But in the end, you were captured. You were charged as a murderer. You were charged as an inferior life form. You were sentenced to die. And who was the one that insisted in ending your life? None other than this woman you intend to marry.

I was there you know. I saw them do it. I remember it well even though I was a child. Third day of Twelvemonth. That's what we called it. Sounds like a blur now. You marched out, hands in chains, but a confident look on your face. You were lined up with others who were captured for things we viewed as crimes. I don't remember what though. Your men wore the same look. They knew they would be going to their deaths, but they were not afraid.

Then you knelt down in front of her. When the Executioner placed the weapon to your head, all you said was, "I thought we were friends."

Then, she looked at you, sneered, and said, "We were _never _friends. "

Then they fired. And you died. First you, and then your men. From that point on, I knew what sort of woman the Princess was. A tyrant who needed to be stopped, but not by me. I was one who went against the government, and I had to leave.

Our world studied the Emeralds just as you had. I escaped. I ran. I was scared. I ran for a long time. By the time I got here, I was already a grown woman. Fifteen years. I barely remember the world I came from, and I wandered across many more. Until I came here.

* * *

The story wasn't a long one, but it gave the two listeners plenty to think about. Chris stood with arms crossed and jaw clenched. Just to look on his face could tell her a lot. The thought that he was not only dead in another world, but had been ordered executed by the very woman standing next to him. He was not exactly pleased by this. As a matter of fact, as soon as he was aware of it, he felt a sense of something of a loss within him. Not physically, or mentally, but just like something was missing in the universe.

"You said that you were gone 15 years. Your father must have been worried."

Hera stared at the floor. "My father was killed for disobeying the Royals."

His heart suddenly became heavy. He became very guilty knowing that he had insulted her long dead father's memory back on Delta Halo."

"Abigail, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Don't mention it anymore."

"Seriously…"

"Don't."

Chris decided to think against it. "And your mother?"

"I miss her so much. I don't know what happened. I hope she's still alright."

Sally looked absolutely horrified. "So that's why you wouldn't talk to me. I was a tyrannical dictator in your world. I know what I can get like when I'm angry…"

"You were never angry. You enjoyed every second of it." Hera said it with a bit of bite. "You_ enjoyed it_. I'm not sure what drove you. Maybe it was Order. Maybe that made you happy, but you had to subjugate us to get it."

"How many people did I order to death?"

"Thousands. Almost half of the crew of the _Prometheus_."

"The Human ship?"

"Yes. Don't even get me started on your parents."

Silence fell on the prison cell. Nobody spoke to anybody for close to four minutes. NICOLE broke the silence. "_I… I remember a war_."

"What?" Chris said, unprepared for it.

"_I remember a war… it's so fuzzy. That block of my memory sealed off for years. Sally, remember what I first said to you_?"

"Yes." She said. "You said 'don't take me back'."

"Just a coincidence." Chris concluded. "A lot of people have wars."

"_I'll divide my runtime to think about it_._ Something is upsetting me about this_."

"Join the club." Chris grumbled. "One last thing: you said I was in the Navy."

"Yes." Hera said. "You loved it and never wanted to leave. You never did…"

"This is the first time I ever heard about a double of me. What did I look like?"

Hera shrugged. "15 years, I'm surprised I have such a clear image. You were tall. Taller than you are now. All of the Humans were. Seven feet three inches about. You had dirty blond hair, and a strip of a beard, some sort of battle paint on your face, and you were more dressed like an ancient knight than a soldier. Half plate, half uniform, something I never saw here. The Lord Captain. That's what they called you."

There was a knock on the cell. They all jumped instinctively. Reyes stood at the door. "I don't mean to break up this reunion, but the longer we stay here, the larger chance we have of being discovered."

Sally turned to Hera. "This'll have to wait. Let's get the others."

The hallway was thankfully empty here in the detention center. It wasn't very big, which suggested that only the most important were held in here. As they made their way out of Sally and Hera's cell, Chris' head instinctively snapped to the ceiling.

"Are the cameras in here taken care of?"

"_Yes, but I'm trying my hardest to evade the security AI's notice. It knows something's in the system, but I'm trying to stay ahead of it_."

"Are you in trouble?"

"_No. I think I can handle it_."

* * *

_It can't see me. It can't see me. I'm alright. I'm alright!_

NICOLE hid in the shadow of a very large digital building that stretched into the stratosphere. This plane of cyberspace appeared to her as a giant city made of dark metal representing data of the ONI system. The shadow served as cover as she watched the sky for the AI. A second later, she heard a heart-piercing roar as a shapeless mass flew across the sky, smashing through several buildings that collapsed into ones and zeros. The thing circled around the area and landed on a flat mesa of skyscrapers and resolved itself into a dragon.

NICOLE bit her lip in terror as she watched the dragon form itself. Scales snapped onto a skeleton and formed the monster byte by byte. Soon it was complete and sent a column of fire into the digital sky. It roared again, causing the world to shake.

"_I KNOW YOU ARE HERE!_" The monster roared to the sky. "I feel your presence! You cannot hide from me! I am Yggdrasil! Lord of this place! Show yourself and pray that I show mercy on you!"

NICOLE was scared by this AI, who appeared to think himself a God. Yggdrasil sent another bolt of fire into the heavens and flew through the air, striking down buildings that were too close for comfort for NICOLE. She ran down a street past empty vehicles that probably represented programs until she found an unlocked door. Inside was a small room with a security panel. That's what she was looking for. As long as she didn't do anything drastic, Yggdrasil probably wouldn't locate her. NICOLE used the panel to bring up the security system. A second later, she located her group.

"Sorry about all of the cryptic nature, but it's not easy to hide from this guy."

The voices of her organic friends sounded more like a whisper to her, but she understood every syllable, "_Get out as soon as you can_."

_Hmph. Easier said than done_.

"OK… OK, I have the cell number. Look for them in Number 17."

"_Number 17. OK, we're on the move!_"

NICOLE heard smashes outside of her room. She heard what sounded like sirens. For a second, her common sense told her 'police', but her programming recognized them as 'Search and Terminate' software taking a form that wouldn't seem out of place in this particular setting. These programs could freeze her in the system by 'shooting' her. Best to avoid them and Yggdrasil as well. NICOLE willed another passageway into existence and formed another doorway into the street. She ran and tried to find a way out of the digital world. Something like a subway or a manhole or something like that. These seemed like common things one would find in a city, but in actuality these were codes and programs she could slip into to cover her tracks and successfully exit the system in.

However, no sooner had she taken ten steps; Yggdrasil rounded the corner and flapped towards her, sending a column of fire scorching the ground.

"Did you think you could hide from ME?!" NICOLE quickly ducked. The dragon flew over her head and had to round the corner. Sirens were closing in behind her. She had to make a mad dash for the exit. She ran. She ran as fast as she could. Soon, the first police car rounded the corner. It was catching up to her. So she had to throw up a firewall. A barricade shot out of the ground right in front of the program, where it crashed violently.

_Good, that may have slowed it down._

The Security AI perched on top of a building. "Hold, small one."

NICOLE didn't stop. Yggdrasil stopped the freezing programs. The cars skidded to a halt not twenty feet from her position. Holographic representations of SWAT officers took out their weapons and aimed at her. Yggdrasil set down on all fours and stared at her with black eyes.

"You do not have to be destroyed." He said. "I can offer you a reprieve."

NICOLE looked at the dragon AI and thought about it. "What if I refuse?"

The SWAT officers cocked their weapons. NICOLE knew the shots wouldn't kill her, but she was no less nervous.

"Does _that_ answer your question?" The security AI asked. "Tell me where your charge is." Yggdrasil asked. "And you will be spared."

NICOLE laughed. "Yeah. I've seen enough movies where THAT line's been used."

Yggdrasil moved his snout closer to her face. Soon she was staring straight over his nose. "I will ask you _again_. WHO IS YOUR CHARGE?"

NICOLE backed away carefully, making sure she could move to a manhole cover. She could detect it without looking at it though. She had to act fast. "My charge… Ah… My charge…"

"Answer me!"

NICOLE gave him an answer. Using a giant burst of data, she raised a circular barricade to block Yggdrasil. In an instant, the dragon was surrounded by a wall of concrete that he was trying to escape. The freezing programs opened fire on NICOLE's form, sending shots all around her. The effectiveness of the programs were offset by NICOLE's hacking skills. The shots went wide. She made for the manhole cover and risked a glance behind her. The shell of concrete surrounding the enemy AI was starting to melt as the dragon tried to burn his way through the firewall.

_Not much time. Not much time at all!_

She yanked open a manhole cover. There was no ladder. It was just a white light. She lept in and thanked God she didn't have to face that monster.

* * *

"_Back_." NICOLE announced. She didn't want to worry her friends with the details. Better they didn't know what she had to go through on a daily basis.

Chris smiled. "Nice of you to join us. You alright?"

"Sure. I'm fine." She responded. "Just taking care of a few things."

Hera was counting the doors. "15… 16… 17… OK, here we are."

"Reyes, will you guard the door again?"

"My pleasure, sir."

"Marine, I would like to stand guard too." Hera insisted.

"The more the merrier, ma'am." Reyes nodded.

Chris took out Goddard's ID tag again.

Sally looked him over. "You look nice in a Navy uniform."

"Can't stand it. Too white. Too clean. I couldn't picture myself in the Navy."

"Lord Captain." Sally smiled. "I like it. Makes you sound noble."

He looked at her seriously. "I'm not noble already?"

"I'm just saying. Seven foot three. You're taller than me as is."

"I'm… I _was _a different man in that universe. I'm not sure how Human."

She placed her head on his shoulder. "You know I'd never do that to you."

"I remember Rhen Var." Chris placed his hand to his chest. "That part of my life isn't going away any time soon."

"I thought we moved past that."

"I thought we did too. It still hurts when I think about it."

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you I'm sorry. I… I always think about losing you."

Chris stood strongly. "I hope you never will. I'm afraid of losing myself."

"What?"

"I'll tell you later."

Chris tapped Goddard's ID card on the reader. "_Access Granted_" the machine droned. The door silently slid open. The first thing that saw were two fighting people. Allen Roan and Samantha Jackson were throwing punches at one another and circling around the center of the cell. Around them, all of their friends were watching silently. Bunnie was sitting in the corner of the cell with her mechanical limbs limp at her side. Sonic was pacing one side of the cell too.

Jackson swept Allen's leg from underneath him and shoved him to the floor.

"Checkmate, Mister Roan." Samantha said. "Better luck next time." She reached down and grabbed her button-up overshirt and dabbed at her forehead with it. Some sweat had worked its way up through her fur. Her ears twitched and she looked towards the entrance to the cell. She gave a half-smile and bundled up her overshirt in her hand. "Huh. Took you guys long enough."

Allen stood up with a smile. Chris walked forward and shook his hand. "Nice to see you again. When did you re-enlist into the Navy?"

"You know, I saw a flyer and it changed my life!" Chris smiled. It was good to joke.

"Any more visions?" Roan asked, more seriously. "Anything?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I see." Roan said.

"_Aw, what a load of crap! He knows nothing, and you know it!_" Kapplin appeared once more. This time, there was nothing but a bloody skeleton wearing a tattered uniform. "_You're keeping everything locked up in your head. How about you _open your mind?"

To his horror, Chris found his hand moving towards his holstered pistol. He tried to fight it with all his might.

"Chris, are you alright?" Sally asked, noticing his movements, and his shaking.

He fought it down and dropped his arm.

Red specks of light appeared in Kapplin's eye sockets. "_You can't ignore us forever, you suicidal bastard! We're your only chance for balance_!"

_Fuck off._ Was all he could manage to think. Kapplin's bloody shade melted into ether.

As if in response, his head began to burn again. His brain pulsed in pain. Again, he fought it and walk to everyone else in the room. He saw Bunnie and went to her, checking to see if she was alright while Sally spoke to Sonic.

"Hey, Bun. Talk to me." Chris said softly. The Mobian rabbit cracked open her eyes and looked straight into his.

"Hey shugah. Oh woo. I'm feeling dizzy."

"Easy, easy." He noticed that her prison jumpsuit seemed loose on her. "Have you been eating?"

Bunnie shook her head weakly. "They didn't give me anything for the last two days. My arm works on energy from what I eat. They've been giving me enough to keep me alive, but, heh, not much more than that." She weakly laughed. "How's that for useless?"

"Bun, you're not useless."

"Aw, you're sweet, shugah." Chris tried to feel around in his pack for something, but Bunnie stopped him. "I'll be fine. I've just got use what's left of my reserves." She urged her arm to make movements and eventually made a fist. "Ah… there we go."

"Do you need to be carried?"

Her leg moved too. She balanced on the wall and slowly stood up. Chris steadied her by holding her arm and shoulder.

"Oh, Stars! I got lightheaded!"

Chris was horrified that the jailers would do this. They were starving her out just so she couldn't break the cell walls.

Sally was speaking to Sonic at the same time. He gave her a hug, but didn't say anything.

"Sal, I don't feel good."

"We're getting out. Don't worry."

"But, I don't feel right. They _said_ things to me."

"What did they say?"

"They said they would be torturing you! They said that they'd be doing things to you so you'd give up the Human!"

She smiled at him. "Look at me! I'm fine! Look, no cuts, no bruises… they said that to weaken you!"

"I was scared." Sonic said. "They kept me in here for days."

"I know. I know." Sally said, trying to calm him down.

"They never turned off the lights! Walls I can't break! They just wouldn't let us go!"

Sally realized that Sonic was recently the victim of an anxiety attack. This room was Sonic's metaphorical Room 101 where he was experiencing his worst fears: confinement. He couldn't go anywhere, his ability to run was taken away, and on top of that, he had been fed lies to make him believe Sally was in extreme pain and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing could be more damaging to a hero than knowing that he could not save the day. Even though they were no longer a couple, Sally still cared very much for Sonic, and his safety. She couldn't stand to see him this way. She talked to him. She gave him a hug to calm him down, but she was disturbed that a strong, and frankly, stubborn spirit like Sonic could be broken down by interrogators. She realized that they didn't need to lay a finger on him. They said the right things and he fell like a house of cards.

"I want to go home." He said. "I want to go home!"

Sally tried to calm him down. He was having his own mental breakdown.

It seemed that the only 'normal' ones in this cell were Allen Roan and Samantha Jackson. Chris spoke to them to get their view of things.

"Well we're fine." Jackson reported. "We've been spending the last couple of days just exercising and sparring with one another to keep our minds sharp."

Allen added to this, "The interrogators allowed us to have small things like cards or things like that. Something we could use to pass time, but nothing that could potentially help us escape. They made sure of that."

"You didn't come in with weapons?" Chris asked.

"No, they took them from us right after we left the Library, and as we understand, the three Mobians were unarmed right from the start." Roan said crossing his arms. "I swear to God, if I lose that 1911, I'm going to strangle a Spartan the first chance I get." He shook his head. "You know how expensive that gun was? Recreations alone are in the ten thousands!"

"I understand. We'll find it and other weapons so we can arm ourselves." Chris turned to the doorway. "Everyone in here now." Reyes and Hera entered the cell, but still looked to the doorway. Reyes holstered his pistol and stood at ease.

"Sir?"

"Getting in here was the easy part. Getting out might be substantially tougher." Chris activated NICOLE's interface. "Any ideas?"

"After my foray into the system, I don't think it'll be smart to head back in."

"What's wrong?" Sally asked.

"The Security AI's starting to wise up to my presence. I was lucky to get out of its sight last time."

"You think he alerted security?" The Princess questioned.

NICOLE winced. "I think that was the first thing that he did."

Chris rubbed his jaw. "Jesus. We'll have to find some other way out of the facility. Are there emergency staircases or anything like that on this level?"

"I still have the map on file. According to the floor plans, the best bet is to find a cargo elevator. These are usually used for supplies and mass prisoner transit. There should be one on the main detention level."

"No way we're getting everyone out of here with no-one noticing." Allen said. "It's just not possible."

With that, the cell walls turned red. A siren blared, and an energy field surrounded them all.

"What's going on?!" Sonic asked. "This never happened before!"

A hologram of a man wearing a fine suit appeared in the center of the cell. He wore thick glasses that Chris recognized immediately. "TUDYK!" He roared.

Howard Tudyk laughed. "_Well, well, well! Isn't this an odd stroke of luck! We spend thousands of man hours and millions of credits trying to track you down from Talahan to the Halos, and you just walk into your own cell. The irony is astounding._"

Chris said nothing.

Tudyk placed his hand to his ear. "_What? No snappy comeback this time? No one-liner that'll make your company laugh? For the first time in a little while, I have to say that I am honestly happy_."

"Happy that your corrupted government gets to reign?"

"_Oh, quite the contrary, Captain. _You _are the corruption. A cancerous growth that needs to be removed. It'll only cause harm_ _if it stays. Like any cancer, the best way to remove it is to isolate it, and then remove it_." A smile cracked his face "_I think you took care of the isolation yourself_."

"So you have me trapped. Congratulations." Chris gave a golf clap. "Are you going to _remove _me?"

"_The opposite, Captain._ _As I said before, we need you alive_._ Your unlocked information is important to us_."

"How did _you_ know I unlocked _anything_?"

"_You left Installation 05. We assumed you found what you were looking for, namely information on the locked data. The Chaos Emeralds are probably Forerunner in origin… two and two, Captain_."

"If you kill me, the data dies with me."

"_Oh, we have things that will prevent that from occurring. Not even your own death will save you here_."

Sally's eyes grew wide. "What's he talking about?"

Tudyk placed his hands behind his back and his hologram paced. "_Your fiancée is a war criminal, causing the death of almost a thousand people aboard the _Elijah Jones_ and helped mastermind the destruction of the _Reaper _earlier today._"

"Bullshit." Sally snapped. "I didn't believe it then, I don't believe it now!"

Tudyk allowed himself to bare his teeth for a half-second. "_Our detention is perfectly legal_."

"And deposing my parents and kidnapping me was too?"

"_You'll understand why we did these things in the long run_."

The Princess snarled at Tudyk. "No, I don't think I ever will."

"_Fine. Don't listen to reason here. And you…_" He looked at Chris. "_Why don't you let that data stew? I think a few more days, and you'll be _begging_ us to rip it from your skull_." Tudyk's image disappeared. Right on time, the door opened. Rouge stood there with her hands behind her back. For a second, everyone thought that she was there to save them, but a second after; she was tossed into the cell and landed on her face. Her hands were, in fact, handcuffed behind her. Following the captured agent, A Spartan followed her. John. They couldn't see his face, but the spraypainted number '117' on his shoulder armor said it all.

"Stay where you are." He ordered.

Chris cursed to the floor. "Well, better take this then." He threw his gun towards the Spartan's feet. "Maybe you can shoot me with it and finally get me out of this mess.

* * *

Meanwhile, dozens of levels above the detention center, William Borne still lay still under the catwalk. The technician was still there, although he was now yelling at the machine in Japanese. Apparently a computer error was preventing some of the turbines from activating and working at their full potential. He turned up suction to cool down the motors of all the generators. Borne felt rushing air at his side that traveled down the shaft into the darkness below. He felt a bit of resistance, but not so much that he was being pressed against the grid of the catwalk.

"Hmm… that's as good as I think it's going to get." The man said in English. "Hey, the system's still being an ass!"

"Did you reset the breakers?" The engineer's friend said.

"Yeah."

"Did you run a diagnostic?"

"Yeah!"

"Well then what in the fuck is wrong?"

"I don't know! There's two generators that always fail!"

"Well, you know what that means."

"Oh hell no. I'm not going down there."

"We've got to replace them."

"Let's just get the Huragok to do it!"

"You want to go find those little bastards? Be my guest! Just let me get my map of every single vent, maintenance tunnel, and sewer in the place! I can't do that! The Engineers _build their own tunnels_ so fast that we can't plot them all! One way or another, those generators are coming out!"

Borne heard this and realized that he was on the catwalk leading to a service elevator. "Fuck!" he said quietly. The Mobian had to move around the same time the mechanics were to move to the elevator. As quietly as he could, he slung the weapon across his back and climbed over the wall. Thankfully, the two engineers were arguing with each other so loudly that they probably never knew he was there. He hit the deck and waited for them to go on the elevator.

"Aw, I hate this part." The complaining technician said.

"Suck it up, buttercup. It's gonna be a long ride." With a whine, the platform descended down the shaft. Borne, content with the fact that he slipped away undetected, went over to the edge to see the pair, still chatting intensely, descend down the shaft. Lights turned on to illuminate the trip.

It was likely they'd be down there for quite some time replacing the generators, so Borne went to go look for Konstantinos at his chosen spot, behind crates.

"Alex, I think we may be clear." Will listened for a response, but didn't get any. "Konstantinos." He said again. Borne was a bit annoyed and thought he was being toyed with. "If I go back there and you moved…" He stuck his head around the corner and instead found the Marine sitting against the crate fast asleep.

"Aaaaw, isn't he cute?" He said sarcastically. "Up!" He said in something more than a whisper.

Konstantinos' eyes flew open. "AH!" He gasped, reaching for a gun. "I didn't do it, I swear!"

A second later, Konstantinos calmed down. He got to his feet and coughed once as if nothing had happened. Borne smiled, "Had a good sleep?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess." He said.

"Good, then you're full of energy to start moving."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Borne pointed to the elevator shaft at the other side of the room. "The techs took the lift down to fix some generators. This is our best chance to shift positions and get somewhere new."

"But… I thought the Captain said that we'd get spotted the minute that we stepped out there."

"They said _I'd_ get spotted." Borne corrected. "But they might call friends."

"Well, you are the ranking one here." Konstantinos admitted. "So, what do you think?"

"I've been in this building before. I might be able to find another place for us to hide."

"Yeah, but do any other rooms give us a convenient way out of the building?"

That was a good point. If Borne and Konstantinos left this room, it would give them less time to exfil. The Captain _did _ say to bug out if anything went wrong. Borne had been in situations like this before. In the end, he decided to go with Konstantinos.

"OK, we'll do your plan. Surely you don't want to stay here. Experience has taught me to never stay in the same place twice."

"We'll find a place. Go looking around for a crevice, or a small access tunnel."

"Right! Access tunnel! The techs said that Huragok come through here every now and then."

Borne and Konstantinos searched all over the room, trying to see if they could find anything resembling a tunnel or an access port. So far, nothing seemed to resemble a door at all. They got nervous when they heard voices behind them, but calmed down once they realized that it was only a few angry shouts that managed to carry up the intake shaft.

Konstantinos walked up a set of stairs to an upper level. Something caught his eye: a hexagonal door that didn't seem to match the surrounding construction. Alex came to the conclusion that this was one of the Huragok's doors. "Sergeant Borne, I think I found one." He waited for the Mobian to jog up to him. "I don't think Humans built this."

"Just what I thought." Konstantinos balled his fist to knock.

"What are you doing?"

"The Engineers won't harm us."

Born squinted. "It's not _harming_ us that's the problem, it's them _reporting_ us."

"The Huragok just won't care."

Borne still wasn't convinced, but what the hell. "Hey, prison could be nice! Better practice my soap-holding skills!"

Konstantinos rapped a few times on the metal. The sound echoed slightly in the chamber but it didn't seem loud enough to reach the Human engineers. He rapped a second time, and this time, the door cycled open. Beyond him was a floating pink mass of tentacles. Despite talking about them, neither of the men had taken a good look at an Engineer. They subconsciously raised their guns.

_::Do not shoot!:: _the thing said_. ::I will not hurt you.::_

"Are you an Engineer?" Konstantinos asked.

_::My name is Drifts to Left.::_

The men found where the voice was coming from, a device nestled around its neck like a collar. It must have been some sort of translation device.

"Drifts to Left? That's kind of a strange name." Borne said.

_::No stranger than yours, of course_.::

"Oh hoh. He's a smartass!" the Mobian laughed. "We need help actually."

The Engineer turned its head towards Borne and blinked four of its six eyes. It chirped excitedly. ::_Do you have something for me to fix?::_

"Not exactly."

_::Oh.::_ Borne wasn't sure, but he may have just hurt the poor guy's feelings.

"But… we still need your assistance."

_::I can assist. What is the problem_?::

Konstantinos spoke, and the Engineer turned its head. "We need to use your tunnel."

Drifts tilted his head and chirped curiously. ::_But why? You don't need to fix anything_.::

"It's not for _fixing_, but we need to _hide_."

"Alex…?"

"Relax, man. He won't report us."

_::Why? Are you going to break something? HAVE you broken something?::_

"I wouldn't dream of it." Konstantinos said.

_::I don't see the harm of it.::_ Drifts tapped the wall with his cilia, and the door slid apart, revealing a twisting hallway. Out in the distance, another Huragok hovered. It turned and waved its tentacles. Drifts answered him back.

"Friend of yours?" Borne asked.

_::Brother. Easy to Mend_.:: Drifts entered the hallway and motioned the two to follow him. Once inside, the Engineer pointed to a switch on the wall. ::_This will reopen the wall for you. Don't break anything in here_.::

"Relax." Konstantinos said. "We won't."

With that, Drifts chirped happily. ::_Excellent! I have work to attend to. Good day!::_ The Huragok floated away to meet his brother, and both drifted out of sight.

"What a nice guy." Borne smiled.

"Yeah. I'd let him babysit my kids."

"He'd never let them touch anything, that's for sure." Borne sat on the floor. "New hiding place acquired. Now we just wait for a radio call."

"Sure." Konstaninos said. "Now I can get some shut-eye."

* * *

Chris was shaking his head in defeat. "And it was all going so well too."

The Spartan just stared at him with gun in hand.

"Well…?" Chris asked. "Nothing to say, John? You've got me right where you want me."

To his surprise, John placed his handgun back on his thigh. "Not today, sir."

"What?"

"Back in the Library, I know when to disobey orders." He tilted his visor towards him. "This is one of those times."

"So you're on our side?" Sally asked, slowly backing away from the Spartan. "I don't know, John. You're all over the place recently. Your Spartans did a number on us."

"They weren't under my control. I had no part of that." John looked down at his feet at the pistol. He kicked it back towards Chris. "You'll need a weapon, sir."

Chris looked down at the gun and back up to 117. The Spartan made no movement towards his handgun. Chris was aware of Spartan agility, but the Lieutenant didn't look like he was going to draw. Chris reached down and snatched the service pistol, and cleared the chamber. Satisfied that he wouldn't portray an appearance of hostility, he placed the round back in the magazine and holstered his weapon.

John walked over to Rouge and uncuffed her. "Are you alright?"

The bat could have looked better. A cut crossed her forehead, and her cheeks were bruised. Parts of her uniform were torn too. "You may have put those cuffs on too tightly."

"Part of the job." The Spartan joked. "There."

Rouge stretched her hands. "That's better."

Sally noticed their interaction. "I see this was all an elaborate ruse?"

Rouge smiled. "Cortana's idea actually."

"_It wasn't as hard as one would think_." They heard the AI say. "_I was in here the whole time_."

"I thought you had the prosthetic." Chris noted.

"_I can leave it whenever I want actually. It wasn't a permanent solution. But it did fix the whole rampancy issue_."

"You feel good?"

"_Never been better_." Cortana said happily. "_John's been telling me about what's happening. We want to help._"

Support. It made Chris happy to hear that people were willing to lend a hand. "Thank you. John, Cortana. But we still need to find a way out of here."

Cortana gave what everyone assumed was a chuckle. "_I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. ONI thought it would be fun to give me access to some of their secure systems. You may not have realized it, but those cameras were never actually showing you. Instead, pretty much every security camera has been showing reruns of soap operas for the last couple hours_."

"Nice." Roan nodded.

"_They're blaming communications satellites for the problem. I haven't been this amused in a while_."

NICOLE entered the conversation. "_What about Yggdrasil_?"

"_What about him?_" Cortana replied. "_Yggdrasil seemed to be a bit busy chasing after you to be worried about us. You may not have noticed it either, but your actions in the security system acted as a perfect smokescreen. So thanks, I suppose._"

"_Any time_."

"Extraction?" Reyes wondered.

"_Via the impounded ships._"

John added, "We were there to apprehend the agent."

Rouge wiped her cut. "Well, at least you didn't bang up my ship. You know ONI was technically destroying its own property?"

"Is the Emerald Fox there?" Hera questioned.

"_Unknown._" Cortana said. "_We can check when we get there_. _The plan from this point on is to masquerade as a prisoner movement_. _We're simply taking you to another location_."

"That was probably the plan anyway." The Spartan agreed.

"Won't we look suspicious?" Sally asked.

"Would _you_ question me?" John said, with a hint of amusement.

"Probably not. No." The Princess replied.

"Then it works to our advantage. Let's go."

"Wait." Chris said quickly. "We have men still on the main atrium floor."

"_We can rescue them_." Cortana reassured.

"Stay here." John told them. "Keep that gun handy." With that, he turned around and walked out of the cell. "We'll be back."

"We're not going anywhere." Jackson said sarcastically.

The energy field on the cell went back up, and the door slid shut.

"_Well, we have a lot of time._" NICOLE said. "_We can start planning some contingencies_."

Chris swooned. "I don't feel so good."

"_Not again!_" NICOLE said.

"What, what's wrong?" Sally said, confused and worried. "What's wrong with him?"

"Damned Forerunner computer program's killing him slowly!" Hera said, rushing to him.

"WHAT?!" Sally cried. "CHRIS!"

"_Oh God…_ I can see it!" He said falling down. He lay on his side, vision blurring.

"Help him, guys!"

"We're trying!" Hera said. She grabbed his gun. "I'll take that… he's been trying to commit suicide a couple times now."

"_SUICIDE?!_" Sally shrieked. She lowered her voice. "Did… did you say a couples times?"

"Jesus…" Sonic whispered in the back.

Reyes nodded. "Each time progressively worse."

"_He nearly spaced himself_." NICOLE said.

"Then almost jumped off a building." Reyes added.

Sally looked like she was on the verge of falling as well. She sat down and just stared into space. "…Why?"

"_His mind seeks balance. He is subconsciously trying to level things out, and death is the only way that he can do that. He's overtaxed_."

Sally wiped her eyes. "I… I can't lose him. Not this time. I need him. For us."

"What?"

* * *

Stars flew by as points of light. His mind was flying through space once more. The core of the galaxy grew closer and closer. Then, blinding light of millions of balls of fire. Old stars billions of years old crowded around the center. In the distance, the monster of the black hole, sucking in light that created a hole in the stars. One star came very close and he skimmed its surface. A coronal burst formed a loop that he glided through. The sea of plasma below him glowed. He couldn't feel its debilitating heat, but he could watch, and wonder.

Within minutes, he was at the center, looking into the abyss of the black hole. Scientists called it 'Sagittarius A', the most destructive thing discovered so far in our part of space. This black hole wasn't unique, but seeing it like this made Chris feel uncomfortable. Just looking at it and knowing that somewhere, this beast really existed made his flesh crawl, if he had flesh right now. A flash of alien numbers clouded his vision. Coordinates, Measurements, hell it could have been a lottery number for all he knew. The numbers cleared, and he saw the… thing again. The strange skeletal flower thing that defied physics and orbited Sagittarius A.

From where he 'stood', the thing was dwarfed by the supermassive monster, yet it beamed that odd green light into the depths of the black hole, stretching forever into eternity. He came by it a couple of times. He passed around it, he went over it, he examined all of it thoroughly, and he could not see what the skeleton flower device was. It didn't resemble any ship he would imagine of, it wasn't a space station, and it certainly wasn't alive in a sense of the word. It could have been a satellite, but what use would it be to beam information _into _a black hole?

Chris noticed something out of the corner of his vision. A shape of a woman standing in the night. It was her again. The Librarian.

It couldn't have been her though. She fizzled. She popped. It must have been a program of some sort that was stuffed into his mind along with all the other data that was driving him mad. Her glow was gone and she was clearer to the eyes. Chris marveled at her beauty, but noted that she wasn't all that different from Humanity. She was taller than he was, wore a dress that covered her feet, and a headdress that covered the top of her rounded cranium. The Lady blinked big purple eyes at him and smiled. At least that wasn't as alien as he thought it would be.

"At first, it was just the Master Builder and a few select others who knew of this place." She explained as the vision attempted to right itself. "Only a small group of Forerunners ever hoped to learn anything from this place and not become a meal for the monster. You saw what happened to them." The Librarian walked towards him. He made no attempt to back away and instead allowed her to walk up to him. "Two hundred thousand warriors died trying to get close to even see what this device was. They were foolish. They thought that whatever held this thing aloft would support them. My husband wasn't thinking when he sent these Prometheans."

"Your husband? Forerunners got married?" Chris asked curiously.

"Yes, the Didact. Even he didn't know of this device's origins. He thought that it was of Precursor make. But that doesn't seem to make sense today since it still stands after the Array has been fired. Those were his ships and his men. In the end, he was so shocked by his inability to foresee such a natural effect that he chose to bury it."

"So I was seeing a memory of his." Chris reasoned. "One of the... Didact's."

"Indeed." The Librarian nodded. "But the memory of a Forerunner would not be safe for an unaltered Human to simply behold. Along with the rest of the data that has not been unlocked."

"Wait a second… _hasn't been unlocked_?! You mean there's MORE?"

"Yes." The Librarian nodded. "But that will come in time."

"Will it harm me?" Chris asked.

"Yes." She admitted. "Unless proper steps are taken."

"Such as?"

"The same way my Husband forgot. You must remove the memory and wipe it from your mind."

Chris was confused. "I can _do _that?"

"The Humans have one of these devices. We created them, and they studied them. That's your next task. Your mind has been trying to get rid of the information its own way. No matter how strong your will is, your mind will eventually win."

"Yeah, you got that right, lady." said a voice in the dark. Kapplin arrived with an army of shades behind him, all of them disfigured. All of them mutilated and dead and rotten years after the war. "Hey cap." Kapplin clacked his jaw. "You remember the boys, huh?"

Chris began to fear them men behind him. "Who are all of these people, Greg?"

Kapplin took a step forward. "Every single man you killed and has died under your command."

Chris tried to plead. "Greg. Don't do this. Don't do this, man."

"YOU'RE DOING THIS TO YOURSELF!" The ghost said. "YOU'RE KILLING US!" The army behind him cracked their knuckles and hissed in multiple languages.

"You think that killing me will fix anything?!" Chris roared. "You'll kill YOURSELF too!"

Kapplin's skull came closer to Chris. He flinched. "I can't stop it. It was NEVER under my control! Only YOU can fix this, or we ALL die right here and right now."

The Librarian stood solemnly with a serious look on her face. "Your companions are correct. Either you act to save yourself, or you all die."

"OK." Chris said quickly. "OK. I'll do it! I'll do whatever you want. Just let me go back, and I'll fix all of this."

"See that you do." The Librarian's image said.

"Or we'll be back." Kapplin hissed releasing him. The army disappeared, the image of the Librarian disappeared, and all that was left was the black hole and the alien artifact surrounding it. He stared where the beam was shooting into eternity, and all he felt was primal fear. He felt small. He felt alone. He felt helpless, and he felt like he understood it all.

* * *

Then there was light. He bolted upright and gasped loudly. Sonic, Sally, and Roan jumped back immediately. "What the hell was that?!" the hedgehog gasped. "What's going on, man? You just died and came back to life!"

"_I've been trying to tell you!_" NICOLE said. "_He's been having these flashbacks! He's been going to these _places_ that have to do with the Galaxy Bomb!_"

Sally sat next to him and placed a hand on his chest. "Your heart's beating a hundred miles an hour! You're sweating!" She wiped his forehead. "What's wrong?! Tell us! You look like you saw a ghost!"

Chris found his voice. "I… I saw many ghosts. All of them… people that I killed. Or have died around me. They… they want revenge."

Sally tried her best to comfort him. "They… they aren't real. You know that, right?"

Chris snapped at her. "IT DOESN'T _MATTER_ IF THEY'RE _REAL_! WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME!" He hit his head off the back of the wall. The energy field felt as solid as the material behind it. "Our timetable just got bumped up. We need to end this soon, or else I'm a dead man and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Better get those happy thoughts revved up guys." Allen said. "It's all on the Spartan now."


	27. Chapter 27: Breakout

Chapter 27: Breakout  
June 9th, 3239, 2120 hours  
Detention Center  
The Office of Naval Intelligence

It was all on John now. The Spartan walked back into the detention center towards the elevators. In his new armor, John-117 appeared as an impassive mountain of armor. To those observing him, John appeared as a machine. To those that did know him, he was much more than he appeared to be. He was a soldier, yes, but he knew when to disobey orders. As of recently, things weren't looking right at all. He had never had to question superior officers before, but when said orders involved apprehending people whose accusations hadn't checked out, then he had to think differently.

Cortana helped in these decisions as well. As soon as John, back then known more by his rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, had arrived back in Human space, Cortana had received something that was promised to end the problem with Rampancy, a prosthetic body. It had worked. Using a strange, yet functional blank brain that combined her Riemann Matrix with organic circuits, she was actually able to avoid Rampancy by forcibly changing her matrix to think more like an actual Human brain. She was able to dump unnecessary information simply by _forgetting_ it. AIs couldn't forget things, especially smart AIs like her. It also allowed her to _feel_ and act. The prosthetic was the closest thing she could ever get to being a real person.

She forgot things that she could afford to forget. Things like unnecessary files, maps, even people and personalities. She could just forget them and store them as minor fragments that barely did anything at all. And with a brain, she could think _organically_ too. Something about being an AI was all systematic. It was all functional. She thought in terms of data; ones and zeros. Now, she could think in sights, sounds, scents, things she could never experience before. She was a new woman.

But, being an AI had perks that she couldn't ignore. The body gave her the best of both worlds. She could be in two places at once if need be, and she could go back any time. As of right now, she was nestled in a brand new data chip slotted into John's helmet.

John spoke, "The Captain mentioned he had friends somewhere?"

"_Yes, NICOLE gave me the specifics. They're in a power generator room back on the main level_."

"Best way there?"

"_Elevator at the east end of the main detention complex_."

John moved to the place she specified, moving past two way walled cells. Prisoners wandered around in their cages, unaware of the outside world. The Spartan made only the briefest eye contact with the prisoners, not making any mental thought on what they were in for or what they were thinking.

"_What do you think they did_?" Cortana asked though.

"Crimes obviously." The Spartan quipped.

"_Sarcastic remarks are _my_ job._" The AI fired back. "_I'd bet every ONI base around the world have prisoners like this_."

"A necessary evil." John responded. "No intelligence agency is different."

"_Agreed_."

John scowled behind his helmet as he saw one of those Hunter Killers standing next to a few security guards. The men were joking with the giant, who was wiping what looked like blood off of his hands.

"Did he talk?" one of the men asked.

"Nope." The Hunter told him. "Better call the coroner."

"Oh, Jesus!" the other guard said in a broken laugh. "That's three prisoners this week!"

"Guess I don't know my own strength." The abomination smiled.

That was way over the line. John was disgusted by people like _them_. They were nothing but killers with no moral compass. Killers who were made even deadlier. John realized though as he passed the bloodied cell with a battered human being in it that even though he was intended to be a killer like the other man, he was held to a higher standard, at a time when things like that used to matter, supposedly.

"How could ONI greenlight that?"

"_Oddly enough, Hunters didn't come unto production until this presidential term. Sound suspicious to you_?"

"Very." John reached the elevator that would take him back up to the atrium. In the close quarters , he felt cramped, but he had been in worse places than this. The elevator hummed silently. The only way he knew he was moving was the increasing numbers on the floor counter. The elevator stopped unexpectedly. John waited to see who would enter. It was an officer, a Naval Captain. He saluted before reading the nametag, which read 'Ekdal'. "Sir!" he said smartly.

The man in front of him gave a smile and entered. "Put your hand down, son. I'm not one for all of this tradition."

The Spartan complied, and stood at ease.

"My, my!" Ekdal said. "I've only heard the rumors about you!"

"Rumors, sir?" John asked.

"That you're a man from the past, moved to our time through some such cosmic event."

"I wouldn't disagree with that, sir." The Spartan replied.

"Well, how are you enjoying the 'future'?" he emphasized it with his fingers. John sensed that this captain wasn't one of the ordinary ones…

John thought hard on what to say to that. The Spartan hadn't had all that much time to simply observe the world. But he was able to think for a second and give Captain Ekdal a straight answer.

"Shinier, sir. Otherwise, the same."

"Shiny! I like it! They've been saying that for hundreds of years!" He took a breath. "Master Chief…"

"Lieutenant, sir." John corrected.

"Sorry." Ekdal honestly said. "I can't imagine what this must feel like for you, but the Navy will try to accommodate you in whatever way we can. If you were on my ship, I'd give you the best treatment I can afford."

"Sir." John said. "That's not necessary."

"Of course it's necessary! Given all you've done for us."

"Sir, no soldier should…"

"… ever be honored for doing what's expected." Ekdal smiled. "I know that quote well. The one came straight from the history books, son. You're immortal now." The elevator stopped. "This is where I get off. Have a good day, Spartan." Ekdal gave one more smile and stepped out of the car, leaving John and Cortana alone.

"History books?" John mused. "This still may take some getting used to."

"_It's been over a year_." Cortana said. "_I thought you'd be over it by now_."

"I didn't know it went that far." The Spartan said honestly. He continued up the elevator shaft until he hit the main floor. His new MJOLNIR armor clanged as metal hit metal on the floor. Soldiers and sailors alike saluted him as he walked through ONI's halls. John liked the salutes, they made him feel important, and despite what he told himself during the war, it was nice to be noticed for a change.

"Where to?" He asked.

"_The Captain mentioned that there was an exit point somewhere around here. I'd ask NICOLE, but I'm having difficulty speaking to her_."

"Probably because they're deep underground."

"_That's true. I'll just have to do things the old fashioned way. Scanning the schematics for any other way out of the building… ah, look at this._"

"You found it?" John asked with relief. He paced around the room he was in. He knew that there were people walking by him wondering what the hell he was doing standing in total silence, courtesy of his suit's internal communication system.

"_I guess so. There's a maintenance room that connects to the sewer systems, probably as a means for inspection or maintenance. Personally, I'd call that a security liability_."

"That must be where the Captain's men are."

"_Head down the corridor into the atrium_."

The Chief followed her directions into the large area. John didn't seem to appreciate the architecture the same way others would. He was a man of action, not one of art. He passed the central floating statue and consulted again with Cortana. "OK, where next?"

"_Ah, turn west, and take the first door on your right. They should be in there_."

The Spartan saluted a captain as he passed him in the hall. Best that he keep up appearances while he did his job. As he made his way down the hall, he thought more about the men trapped in the cell downstairs. What was Marshall's plan? John knew the Captain was onto something, but they needed that last piece of evidence that linked the corrupt President to all of the atrocities. It was likely he could wriggle his way out of one or two of them, but numerous ones? Impossible.

"Something just occurred to me… why haven't we just taken down Marshall ourselves?" John asked. "We've tackled worse."

"_Tried that._"

John raised an eyebrow as he read the doors. "You _tried_ that?"

"_Marshall has surrounded himself with complex AIs I've never seen before, not to mention his files are essentially nonexistent_."

John found the door. His motion tracker indicated that there were people inside. He opened the door and looked around. This was clearly a maintenance area. It was much more utilitarian than other areas of the ONI base. There were metal rafters on the top of the room with machinery resting in gantries all around the place. Containers and crates were stacked tall and cast shadows in all directions. What caught the Spartan's eye was the giant pit at the far end of the room.

"Cortana, you said they were here?"

"_That's what I was led to believe. But, those two signatures, they're technicians_."

They didn't need to know that he was there. John made a quick sweep around the room, making sure that his metal footsteps were as quiet as he could make them. He checked behind crates, behind staircases, he even risked looking into the pit, only to see two very angry technicians arguing with one another. His missing men weren't in here.

"_This can't be right_."

"I agree. Do a deeper scan."

"_Ah, right. Maintenance access corridors. Maybe some Engineer's tunnels. Aha. There they are._"

A waypoint appeared in John's HUD slightly behind a wall. He put two and two together quickly and searched for a panel. The wall responded to his touch. He glanced behind him to ensure that the curious weren't impeding his progress. Satisfied, he focused his attention back on the portal. It slid open revealing a hexagon-shaped hallway. The first thing he saw were Huragok coasting through the tunnels.

"_Well, I was wondering where they were keeping those guys_." Cortana snickered. "_John!_"

The first thing he saw were two men lying against the wall with eyes closed. John quickly kneeled by them to check their pulse. "They have IFFs on them." He noted.

"_Private First Class Alexander Konstantinos. The Human. The other man is Sergeant William Borne_."

"You mean the Mobian."

"_Yes, this man. You do know that not everyone who isn't Human is evil._"

"One step at a time." John said. He opened his outer coms. "Wake up."

Before the word 'up' left his mouth, Borne's eyes snapped open and brought his rifle to bear. John retaliated by grabbing Borne's arm and twisting it lightly, snapping the gun out of his grasp.

"JESUS!" Borne cried. He reached for a sidearm.

"I wouldn't advise that." John said. "Now calm down." He slipped the rifle onto his back. "I'm on your side."

"Alex… wake up."

Konstantinos' eyes flickered as he awoke, but his jaw dropped. "Bill…"

"Relax… he says he's on our side."

"And you _trust him_?"

John spoke up. "If I wanted to apprehend you, you'd be in a cell before you even woke up." He got closer to Konstantinos' face. "Now, if I wanted you dead…"

Konstantinos gulped. "Uh... message received, sir."

"I'm glad. My name is Lieutenant John-117. Captain Vennettilli sent me to collect you."

"The Captain's alright?" Borne asked.

"He's… with the others, but we need to rendezvous if we want to escape from this facility."

Both men got to their feet and checked their weapons.

"I suppose I trust you." Borne said. "What's the plan, sir?"

"I need your weapons." The Spartan announced. As he expected, the two men were iffy with that.

"Forget what I said." Borne replied. "You want our guns?"

"I already have your rifle." The supersoldier said. "You can stay here if you wish. The Engineers have loose lips."

Borne gave a small chuckle. "If there's one day I never thought I'd see, it's the day I was ratted out by a parade float. Alright." He unclipped his pistol and handed it to the Lieutenant. "Be careful, huh? It's a custom piece."

"I'll be careful." John said. He looked the firearm over with interest, noting that it was a pistol with a wire stock and suppressor. Then, magnetically attaching it to his leg armor. "Your weapon, Private?"

"Yes sir." Konstantinos handed the rifle over willingly. John inspected the rifle and cleared the chamber. "I don't want shots fired." He said simply. "Konstantinos, Borne, I will be 'escorting' you two to the Detention Center where the others are. From there, we will regroup there and formulate a plan."

"What if we're questioned, sir?" Borne asked.

"Let me do the talking." John replied. "If you can help it, stay quiet."

"Understood." The Mobian nodded.

John turned on his heel and led the two men out of the room. As soon as they left, the lift came back up.

"Did you hear something?" The Japanese engineer asked. "I thought I heard a voice."

"You're right. I did hear a voice too." The other one said. "It was a dumbass who's going out of his mind! Come on, let's get something to eat."

John placed handcuffs on Borne and Konstantinos to make it seem like they were actually prisoners. "One more rule, keep in front of me." He said. "Proper protocol."

"Not to worry, sir." Borne assured. "I've escorted my fair share of prisoners."

"I gotcha, sir." Konstantinos nodded.

They began their walk back down to the detention center. Almost immediately, someone started walking towards them.

"Oh Jesus Christ, here we go." Borne rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong?" John asked.

The man, a Human, roughly thirty with a shaved head smiled. "Well, well, well! Billy Fucking Borne!"

Borne gave a small smile. "Hey Rathburne. Small world. What's hanging, you bastard?"

"What happened to you?" Rathburne looked to the Spartan. "Who did _you_ piss off?"

The Lieutenant cut in. "You know this man?"

"Yeah. Drinking buddy. We've done a few jobs together." Rathburne explained. Came in for some paperwork, and bam. Thought you were a goody two shoes, Billy-boy! Wanted to keep your nose clean for that OMEGA outfit. Guess I was wrong."

"I'll be out soon."

"Yeah, I doubt it if you're going to the dungeon. Be seeing you, Billy!" Ratheburne walked away chuckling to himself."

"_What was THAT about?_" Cortana asked.

"Whoa, who's that?" Konstantinos jumped.

"_I'm an AI._" She explained. "_Who was that man?_"

"Like I said, drinking buddy." Borne said as they kept on walking. "He's a bastard, but he's an OK guy. If we get out of this, this is going to be a great story one day."

"_What did he mean, OMEGA_?" Cortana asked.

"It's a squad of Humans and Mobians. Our fearless leader is the military commander. Her Highness the Princess is the political liaison and XO. Technically there are more squads, but we aren't told much about them. Hey, sir, I heard YOU were a real badass."

"So I was told." John said.

"Why don't YOU apply?" Konstantinos asked.

"I've got my own group to worry about. The Spartans."

"Oh I know plenty about them." Borne said. "Wouldn't want to see your visor in a dark alley."

"That you don't." John said honestly. "Cut the chatter, people. We're turning heads."

"Aye-aye, sir." They both whispered.

As they approached the elevator, they saw a group of sailors cheering their arrival and giving mock-applause to them. One of them called "Welcome to gladiator school, assholes!" Borne actually acknowledged the clapping with a quick flip of the finger which prompted one of the men to approach him. "Why you little fucking furry freak!" He said.

John stepped in between and stared at the man. "Get away from the prisoner. Now."

The man's bloodlust immediately died down, and he was a scared little puppy in front of the Spartan in full armor.

"I'm sorry sir…" he managed to say before slinking back into his group.

"_Well that was amusing_." Cortana said.

"Oh yes it was." Borne said with superiority. "Man if I had someone like you in high school, nobody would touch me."

John gave a restrained, yet forceful shove to the Mobian's back. "Stay on track, Sergeant."

"Yes sir." William nodded.

* * *

"So tell me what happened." Sally said as she sat down beside Chris as he was rubbing his temples. She could tell that he was in serious pain. She was nervous, but not afraid. She didn't think he would attack, but she knew that something wasn't right in his head. "When you found out what they were after."

"It wasn't unlike what you saw now." He said. "One moment I was here, and the next, I was gone. I was living the memories of a dead man. A Forerunner named the Didact."

"_That's the first I heard of this_." NICOLE said. "_You think he was important_?"

"I was told he was a Forerunner general, or admiral or something like that. He led a fleet of ships to the… I'm not sure what it was, and they got destroyed."

"Was the Didact killed?" Sally asked.

"Not sure. I don't think he matters much right now, aside from his memory."

"So, what about you though?"

"I'm in pain; I won't lie… and…" He looked at her with strained eyes. "Your middle name is Elaine, right? Eleanor… Alice?"

"Chris, it's Alicia!" She said concernedly. "You know that… right?"

"I… You brother's name is… Edward…?" He looked into space. "My mother's name is… my mother's name…" He started to breathe quickly. "I can't remember!" He suddenly said. "I can't remember!" He looked at her as he started to shiver. "I don't know what my mother's name is!" He then buried his face in his hands and started to sniffle.

Sally didn't do anything for a second but sit there with a look of pure horror on her face. When he made eye contact with her again, tears were rolling down his cheeks. "I don't know how old I am…!" He glanced at his hand. "I… I think I'm getting married!"

That broke the dam. She grabbed him and brought him close. She started to cry too, but fought back the tears with all the strength she could manage. Her heart had broken and in her mind cursed the Chaos Emeralds. She cursed the Forerunners for making the damned things, and cursed them for taking this young man's mind."

Chris whispered into her ear. "I'm scared. I don't want them to know…"

"I won't tell them." She said.

"I don't want to lose you." He said mournfully. "You're the only light I have left."

Sally made sure to look deep into his eyes that seemed like those of a child. "I won't let that happen." She promised. "I will never let you forget."

He wiped his eyes and leaned against the cell wall. "Why me?" he called to whatever was watching over them. "Why did all of this happen to me?"

"_Did you ever consider that hundreds of other men in your exact position have wondered the same fate, but are dead_?"

"But why am I alive?"

"_Because you can beat this thing. Because you're the best of the best. You're a hardass Marine who's been to every deep and evil edge of this galaxy_!" NICOLE assured. "_You made it through the Library on your own. You made it through those jungles twice. You've fought Terrans, Zerg, Rebels, Sentinels, you survived a fight with Shadow the Hedgehog mano I mano. You stormed the Citadel, and you held the Mayan Pyramid against fifteen men! You're going to marry a Princess, for crying out loud! If anyone's going to have the balls to pull through, I think you've earned that right. Now… when's your birthday?_"

Chris nodded, and even puffed out his chest a little. He closed his eyes and thought for a long moment. "June 7th." He said without hesitation.

"_What's your mother's name_?"

Chris strained, but got up. "M… Marie! Marie O'Conner!"

Sally stood up. "What's my middle name?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alicia. A beautiful name."

She smiled, but his turned to a soft frown. "Don't let me forget. Please. It's becoming harder and harder to remember."

"I'll do what I can." Sally said. "Just hang in there a bit longer."

The rest of the guys were pacing, chatting, and sitting down. Reyes was actually lying on the floor with his eyes closed, but Chris knew that a Marine was like an angry lion that would jump if awakened suddenly.

"How's everyone doing?" He asked.

"We're trapped in a cell and we're backed into a corner by a madman politician." Samantha said angrily. "How the fuck do you think we feel?"

"We're nearly out of this. Just stay calm."

"Oh, stay calm, he says." The Mobian growled. "Hard to stay calm when you're having a fucking seizure every half-hour!"

"Let me remind you I'm not exactly having the time of my life here!" Chris fired back. "You think having a 'fucking seizure' is fun, Jackson? It's not! I feel like I want to tear my fucking skull out of my head! I hear the voices of every damned person who's died under my command! I'm seeing an alien language I don't know how to speak, not to mention a Forerunner lady who says that the device that can atomize us depends on my getting this shit out of my head. No fucking pressure, huh?!" He took a breath. "What do you worry about? Your bonus?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." She said. "I get it. You have problems. We've had to put up with that this entire trip. This cash better be worth it!"

"Fat load of good it'll do while you stand here bitching about it instead of having some faith in John!"

"How can we trust John?" Sally said. "Spartans attacked us and brought us here."

"He had nothing to do with that." Chris defended. "I trust that man."

"Yeah, well, you're pretty much alone on that." Jackson said. "One minute he's on our side, and the next he's putting us in handcuffs. Then he says he's helping us out and then conveniently leaves us in a locked cell with no way out. Yeah, great guy."

"I trust him." Hera said quietly on the back side of the cell. "He seems like an honorable man."

"Thank you, Major." Chris said with a nod. "Nice to have some support."

She smiled. "Glad to provide, ground pounder."

Sally looked at Sonic, who was uncharacteristically quiet. "Anything to add, Blue Blur?"

"I just want to go home." He said quietly. "I just want to see my folks again."

Chris agreed with the disheartened man. "You and me both, brother. I want to go home too." He tried to stare outside the cell, but the only thing he saw was his own reflection. It was impossible from anyone inside to look to see what was happening out there. For all he knew, President Marshall himself could be outside these walls taunting him, or even making 'neener-neener' faces at him. He decided to take the risk.

"Well, since we're all here, should we review our evidence?"

Roan shrugged. "Why not? This is the best chance we've been able to speak to each other in… what, nearly twenty days?"

"Hold on." Sally said. "NICOLE?"

"_We're still hidden for the most part_."

"Then let's get to it. We know that President Cleary was assassinated. No doubt about it. We have video evidence-"

"That was on the ship…" Jackson realized.

"Aw fuck me…" Chris cursed. "Fuck…"

"Keep going." Sally said.

Christopher shrugged. "Uh, OK. We know that Marshall ordered the undercover action of Agent BRUTUS on Talahan in order to exterminate any other rebels on the planet, but that was back when he was part of the General Assembly"

"The action itself may be legal, but we'll see if a Delegate could make a call like that."

"That's a slap on the wrist though." Rouge announced. "He can walk away from that."

"You said that the Blackgate facility tortured soldiers?"

"That's right, I did." Rouge said, realizing it. "That could be useful. If only we can find some documents with his signature on it."

"Which leads me to the coup de grȃce." Sally said with an evil smile on her face, "The annexation of Mobius."

There was silence. Chris remained solemn, but the other anthros in the room blinked their eyes. "… What?" Jackson said. "He… he's taken over the planet?"

"Yup. Legally, or so he claims. The news doesn't become official for a little while longer, so maybe we can use that, and the facts that we've uncovered, to our advantage. I think Marshall may be trying to start a war between Earth and Mobius."

"We came to that conclusion too." Chris calmly said. "And we concluded that the Mobians would lose.

"So did I." Sally sighed.

After a couple moments of silence, Bunnie spoke up. "Y'all know where we have to go now, right?"

"Yup," Chris said, "but I am sure not looking forward to it."

"We've got to go to his office, don't we?" Reyes rolled his eyes.

"That's the only place where physical evidence would exist that proves he was behind these decisions."

Abigail spoke up again. "Maybe he knows something about the _Jones_."

Chris forgot about that too, but the minute she brought it up, his thoughts went to burning metal, bodies spinning in space, and families surrounding coffins. "Oh God. Yes, I want some closure on that. That _can't_ have been an accident."

"So we're agreed then." Sally said. "Our next stop is New York City to see the President of the UEG."

Chris rolled his eyes and groaned aloud.

"Something wrong, Captain?" Hera asked. "You're going home."

"Yeah, but there lies the point." The young man said. "I'll be going back home to a place that's willing to tear my head off. I'm surprised that there won't be a lynch mob or maybe wanted posters plastered all over Broadway. Maybe the local theaters will perform my glorious execution by the state."

"You're being dramatic." Sally said with a huff of a laugh.

"Am I?" the Human said. "Just trying to keep it light."

"Don't quit your day job, man." Roan tossed back.

Chris flicked his hand, '_forget about it_'. "Doesn't matter if we have a destination; none of that matters if we can't find a way out of this cell."

Reyes growled, "We aren't breaking through, are we?"

"Not even if we use Bunnie as a battering ram." Chris made eye contact with her and she gave a small smile. "The walls feel too thick." He turned his head to NICOLE.

"Almost a full foot thick." She popped up responding. "To call it 'glass' would be incorrect. Hmm… seems to be more of a metal, or something of that nature. Regardless, I agree that using Bunnie as a battering ram is useless. We'd better wait for John to come back."

"And if he doesn't?" Samantha questioned.

NICOLE was quiet for a second. "Let me put it this way… anybody here ever heard of the Hanoi Hilton?"

"No." Roan said. "Was it some sort of hotel or something?"

"Ah… not exactly."

"You know what, don't mention the negative right now." The Marine Captain ordered. "The Spartan's coming back. I just know he is. If there's a man who knows what honor is, it's John-117."

Much to his disappointment, John didn't crash through the door to rescue them immediately following that sentence. He could get the sense that some of the others were feeling the same. Waiting ever patiently, he found a free corner to sit in and think. Bits and pieces of his mind were fuzzy at first. Sometimes he forgot a small detail here, but then remembered it a second later. The bigger memories and thoughts were fine, at least for the moment.

Sally sat in front of him, legs crossed. "Thinking?"

"Fighting." He replied. "You would not want to be me now."

"I don't think I've ever wanted to be you." She honestly said. "Looks like all of that interstellar adventuring has finally taken a toll on you."

"More like I poked something that shouldn't have been poked." He looked at her. "Your eyes are blue right? Ah, of course they are… what am I saying… of course they are…" He closed his eyes and stepped into his thoughts. "You still have those horrible blue boots?"

"What? No, I stopped wearing those years ago. I thought you'd remember…"

"Yeah, of course I remember; you wear the black ones with the side buckles and grey soles." He noticed her looking seriously at him. "Just the minor details right now." He explained. "As long as I don't go through anymore episodes, I should be fine. Oh God, what now?"

_"Hoping that a woman can save you from yourself?" _Captain Benedict's voice sounded within his skull. Alien data flashed in his vision. He couldn't make sense of it. "_Can't face your destiny alone_?"

"Respectfully sir, this is not the time." Vennettilli growled. Sally backed away a little.

"It's not real, Christopher." She warned. "It's not real."

"_Kapplin's right. You can't ignore us. We'll push, and by God we'll push hard._"

"Until then, go simmer in an abyss or something like that."

"_You'll pay for that insubordination, Marine!_" with that, he withdrew.

"Good! I'll be waiting for you! You're not taking me without a fight!"

Chris looked at the nervous Mobian. He had never acknowledged his visions in front of anybody unrestrained. He could see the signs in her eyes and her subtle body movements. She was nervous. Not nervous about his condition, but nervous about _him_. Oh God, she was _scared_ of him!

"Sally…" he offered. "I… I know it wasn't real, but…"

"Don't do that again…" she said quietly. He then saw what she was talking about: everyone in the room had eyes on him. Just how loudly did he say that? Even Reyes sat up to look at him. Bunnie's eyes were wider than Sally's. Samantha just shook her head.

"The guy's fucking wacko." She said. Once again, there was a feeling in the air that some degree of this thought was shared by everyone.

Anger rose in Chris' chest. He slowed his breathing down and clenched his hands. _Wacko huh? I'll show you wacko. You say something like that about me again, I'll cut off your FUCKING TAIL and FUCKING STRANGLE YOU WITH IT! I WILL FUCK YOU UP!_ _I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT WACKO IS!_

He reached to his holster and plucked his pistol out, but before anybody could notice, he slipped out. His heart felt unclenched, and his head hit the wall of the prison cell. He dropped the gun onto the floor. Thankfully, Sally wasn't looking at him, but the horror didn't belong to her. It belonged to him.

_What's WRONG with me?!_ He desperately thought. _What am I DOING?!_

Sally turned to notice him. He quickly removed the gun's magazine and made it look like he was inspecting the weapon. "Everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah," he lied. "Just making sure our gear's ready to go. I hope we never have to use these." He lied again. Maybe it was a truth. He didn't know anymore. Right, wrong; life, death; these were all things that were slowly becoming meaningless to him. Maybe this was the madness brought about by the horrors of war. Maybe this was what all of the old soldiers warned him about.

_No_, he decided. _This is something else entirely_.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open. He reached for his gun and braced himself for a firefight. He thought fast. In these close quarters, he'd need to act fast, otherwise his death was guaranteed. Everyone with a weapon held it at the ready; Bunnie even extended her cannon even though she had no energy left to fire. It turned out though that nobody needed them, as a green-armored giant walked into the cell.

"Everyone alright?" John asked.

"We're fine." Jackon stated. "Not too sure about our friend over here." She indicated Chris.

John didn't say anything to her. The Spartan did walk over to the Captain. "Sir?"

Chris looked up at the Spartan. He expected to meet John's eyes, but instead met his golden reflective visor. "I've certainly been better."

The supersoldier extended his hand to the young man. Chris took it and felt himself lifted like a rag doll. It was as if John was supporting his whole weight in his arm alone. "You ever have a bad day, Lieutenant?"

"Plenty." John grunted.

"_You know,_" Cortana said through John's armor, "_you might be having the closest thing I could compare to rampancy_."

At that word, the Captain scowled. "Oh great, so I'm going to die in the end?"

"_We'll work as fast as we can_."

Sally looked towards the Spartan. "You didn't answer his question, Cortana."

"_I've never known an AI to survive the experience. A Human…_"

She didn't need to finish. "I think we'd better get moving." The Spartan quickly said. "Don't you agree, Cortana?"

"_Yes._" The AI answered. "_Follow the Spartan, people_!"

John pulled the guns off his back and handed them back to Konstantions and Borne. The Mobian yanked the charging hammer. "So I take it we're going loud?"

"Looks that way." Roan answered. "Who are you? We didn't see you before."

The Mobian German Shepard extended his hand. "Borne. William Borne."

"Allen Roan." The mercenary replied.

"Alexander Konstantinos." The other man said. "You've all probably met my associate, Mr. Reyes." He nodded towards the Marine built like a mountain.

Sally called towards Borne. "Don't I know you?"

"Long story, ma'am!" Borne called back.

The next minute involved a quick journey up the hallway. Those who had guns had them out. The Marines donated their sidearms to their rescued prisoners. Sally wielded Chris' service pistol; Alex and Reyes gave their weapons to Jackson and Roan. Only Sonic and Bunnie were unarmed with the defeated Hedgehog holding onto the cyborg.

* * *

Of course the security monitors were working. Of course the alarms were working just fine. Everything in this base was operational. But they had been left off by choice. Even though the band of would be crusaders of truth thought they were one step ahead, they were truthfully one step behind.

Tudyk watched a security feed of the cell. He stood in the office of the Military Chief of Operations at the facility. The man, Admiral Vance Yokuda, sat behind his desk stroking his long beard. He nodded appreciatively of the information footage.

"I'm constantly surprised by what the gentlemen in the research labs come up with, Mr. Tudyk."

"So am I." the president's right hand man replied. "When we discovered the security feed went down the first time, I almost thought you would send in the Stalkers."

The Admiral shook. "Ugh, I wouldn't wish them on anyone, even a killer of children."

"But when Yggdrasil told us about the secondary camera, I thought that it was a dream come true." He raised a glass in a toast to the technicians.

"Direct feed footage. We have them in all the cells." Yokuda said proudly. "No wifi, no beaming pictures, just straight from the source."

Tudyk wasn't particularly curious about the camera's ancient method of operation, but rather, he was curious about the players involved in this scheme. "Well, well, well. John-117. It looks like the Man out of Time has chosen today of all days to grow a conscience."

"Unfortunate." Yokuda said shaking his head. "President Marshall considers him a model soldier."

"Don't worry, Admiral." Howard Tudyk grinned. His glasses seemed to flash as he faced the Admiral. "We'll make sure that he's still… an example." He glanced at his watch. "Can I borrow this room for a moment, sir?"

Yokuda nodded. He stood up, straightened his uniform and exited. "Don't be too long, Mr. Tudyk." He said. "We're all busy men, you are aware."

"Yes, yes, Admiral. I won't be long." Tudyk adjusted his glasses and waited for Yokuda to exit his office. As soon as the door slid closed, the ONI man strode to the mechanism and ensured that the door was locked. The door gave a small click to ensure that the mechanism was sealed. Following this, he sat down in the Admiral's chair to access the computer on the desk. He smiled as he noted that the chair had wheels on it. He loved these things. Tudyk tapped the keyboard and the computer screen showed a communication line was opening.

Yggdrasil made his presence known through the office's hologram projector. The golden dragon spread his wings and sent a column of holographic flame into the air. He was little bigger than a loaf of bread. Tudyk didn't make a sudden movement. "Yes?" He simply responded to the dragon.

"My Lord," the AI said, "You wanted me to let you know when the prisoners were on the move."

"Indeed." Tudyk said. "Make it quick, I have a call to make."

"I'll be brief." The dragon said. "I've followed your instructions and waited for them to make a move. I've picked up on this other AI's tricks and used them against her."

"Wonderful work, Yggdrasil!" Tudyk smiled. The AI huffed a flame and his wings flapped in pride. "I've met her in Cyberspace. Her matrix is unlike the others."

"Yes, we are aware of that, Yggdrasil. NICOLE's matrix is a bit… different. Alien, even. However, she does have a basic Reimann structure in her core, as the analysis we originally did on her stated."

"Would you like the details, my Lord?"

Howard rolled his hand – make it quick.

"The Spartan is assisting them. He has armed the other prisoners. The cyborg and the fast one don't have guns though. The Captain has also had what I can only describe as a possession by the Devil or something of that nature."

Tudyk continued to work. "Don't be silly, Yggdrasil. Devils don't exist. However, I know exactly what's happening to our young friend. Keep up the good work and report back if anything sudden happens."

The dragon nodded and lifted into the air. "It shall be done, my Lord!" With that, he twirled, and was gone in a flame."

Tudyk smiled. "Man, I've got to get me an AI one of these days…" There we go. The connection was secure.

"_Stand by._" The computer droned.

"_Hello? Who is this?_" President Marshall's voice said through the computer.

"Sir. It's Howard."

"_Oh, Tudyk. Where are you?_"

"ONI, Tokyo."

"_You move fast, Howard. Report. Now._"

"Lieutenant John-117 is working with the Captain."

"_Mmm… that's disturbing. I had a feeling that he was having second thoughts when I read his report._"

"They're moving to escape."

"_Where are they headed_."

"New York. Um… your office, specifically, sir."

There was a second of silence over the line. Tudyk could imagine the President sitting back in his chair staring at the ceiling. "_Here's what I want you to do: order security to pull all guards from the main hallways_."

"Mr. President?" the man said, almost unsure of what he was hearing. "Are you asking me to _let them go_?"

"_No, Howard. I'm _TELLING_ you to let them go. If they're heading here, we may as well roll out the red carpet. The Captain has it in his demented head that I'm the way out of this mess. Oh he has no idea. I want to keep him guessing. So, I'm ordering a complete security omission on the whole avenue of escape. Look for a hangar. Shut down cameras, reposition guards, but not too suspicious if you catch my drift._"

"I'll… I'll do what I can."

"_We're almost done, Tudyk. The Captain is the key at this point. If we can get those memories, we can kill two birds with one stone._"

"Then we can save Humanity."

"_Bingo. So, _don't fuck this up, Howard._ Let me know as soon as you allow whatever ship they have to leave_."

"Yes, Mr. President. Goodbye, sir."

"_Yeah._" The line snapped dead. Tudyk sat in front of the blank screen. He stood up, straightened his suit, and unlocked the door. Admiral Yokuda still stood outside in the hall looking at a personal datapad.

"All done in there, Mister Tudyk?"

"Yes, quite. Thank you, Admiral."

"Did you clear the search history?" The officer asked with a small smile.

"Sir?" Tudyk asked while doing a double take.

"They teach you humor in political college, Howard? Don't answer that."

Tudyk straightened his tie. "Admiral, I need to get in contact with the security center."

Yokuda nodded. "Certainly; they're four floors above you. Hope you sprinted in school."

"Four floors…?" Howard tried to search for a memory where he ran track in desperation.

Yokuda wheeled around back outside. "_Nantekotta_… I'll be out here. Yup. Lock the door, do your thing; classified I'd bet." Before the door slammed shut, Yokuda whispered, soft enough so that only he could hear, "_Baka o kuso_."


	28. Chapter 28: Madness of the Mind

Chapter 28: Madness of the Mind  
June 9th, 3239, 2300 hours  
En Route to Dock  
The Office of Naval Intelligence

Immediately after the group exited the high-security cells of the ONI base, they knew something was very wrong. They made sure to have their weapons up and made ready to shoot in case they would be fired upon by Agents. Strangely enough, nobody came. The hallway leading back to the main detention center was empty. It was too strange an occurrence to be a coincidence. There were no lucky guard rotations at work. There were no factors of chance nudging them along. This emptiness was deliberate. Rouge noticed it first. Her ears twisted as she tried her hardest to pick up any sort of sound, but she growled in anger.

"What's wrong?" John asked, not even glancing behind him.

"This hallway had people in it when you brought me in!"

"I know." The Spartan said.

"But… where did everyone go?" she tried again to pick up sounds, but her supersensitive ears failed her. "You've got to be kidding me."

Cortana noted this disturbance as well to 117. "_You _know_ someone ordered the guards away_."

"I never said otherwise." He reassured.

Jackson huffed. "I'm just waiting for someone to say that we're starting to hallucinate."

Chris, who was at her right flank lowered his weapon and made very direct eye contact with her. "The _fuck_ is THAT supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing." Samantha said airily. "Just saying… an empty hallway, nobody around, perfect concoction for a trip-fest."

"I'm starting to get tired of your lip, Jackson." Vennettilli said pointing an accusing finger towards the Mobian. "All you've been doing for the last few hours is bitching and complaining! You know… for a mercenary," he smiled very deliberately, as if to fire her up. "I've _never_ heard anybody complain about their job as much as you!"

If he wanted her angry, he did it.

"You _slime_!" She hissed. "Everything was going fine until you turned into an alien hard drive!"

"Regardless, you accepted the job."

For mercenaries, there were a series of golden commandments that were honored for thousands of years. Soldiers for hire kept these to heart. Unquestionably the most important of these golden commandments was '_Honor the Contract'_. If you take a job, you see it through to the end. Defaulting would be the equivalent to a cardinal sin. Even in a secular interpretation, one would _really_ not want to default.

In the years that Samantha Jackson was at Vanguard Security, she had _never_ defaulted on any contract. Even the small stuff that involved working security at concerts, or hell, she had even served as a rich kid's bodyguard at his 13th birthday!

This was why Vennettilli's remark stung so much. It was a blow against her pride.

What was worse, Allen was on his side.

"He has a point." Roan quipped.

"What?!" Jackson said, maybe a bit too loud.

"We took the job. The deed is done, our signatures are on the paper."

Samantha stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked her partner dead in the eye. "Roan, we are permitted to…"

"See, I know what you're going to do." The mercenary interrupted. "You're going to answer me back with a smart-ass response quoting some bullshit legal clause that would allow us to ditch the contract."

Cortana stepped in, "_I understand there's some tension that's unresolved between you and Miss Jackson, but can we-"_

"No no. Just give me a second." Allen insisted holding up his hand and focused again on the Mobian.

"Don't deny it. So… you're saying that you're not up for the job?"

"Allen…" she whispered, "…this job is bullshit and you know it."

"No, I don't think I do." The Human said innocently.

To their surprise, Hera spoke with venom, "Did you consider that your client would find you failing their assignment would make them very unhappy?"

"That's a good point!" Allen said with another block of ammunition. "We fail, and our client, who was so nice as to put a good amount of zeros on our contract, will find us. I don't know who this guy is, but he's paying us well to keep the Captain safe."

Chris stood around very uncomfortable as he was able to hear every single word the pair was saying.

"You didn't hire them?" John asked the Captain.

"No. They were hired by someone they can't find the identity to."

"They didn't tell us that in the briefing." He consulted with Cortana.

"_Most likely, they didn't even know_. _The plot thickens._"

"They'll never see us coming either." Borne assured. "Aw, let's just leave them behind already."

"That would be quite unbecoming of us gentlemen." Chris responded. "Roan! Jackson! You two done over there?"

"Yeah." The Human called. "I think I am. Oh, and Sam…" he turned to his partner once more. "Just remember this last thing: CEO Gustaff didn't spend a small mountain of credits to give us our tracking devices and not keep tabs on our job performance."

Jackson's jaw slowly dropped. She growled and let her head drop back onto her shoulders. With a final air of triumph, Roan said, "Yeah, you forgot about that, huh? Come on, sweetheart. We've got a job to do."

Sally had never seen a Mobian so angry. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that she would have gone feral and ripped Roan's head off. She made it a point to ask Allen as he looked forward smugly.

"Uh… Allen, right?"

"Yup. What can I do for you, Highness?"

"Please… just Sally right now."

"No problem, Sally. What do you need?"

"Um… is she… going to be OK? She looks like she wants to kill you."

As the group got moving again, Allen glanced back at his partner who continued the death glare. "Oh, you mean that? That Princess is the trademarked 'Jackson Contemplating Homicide' stare. You see that twinkle in her eyes there? I've seen that twinkle no less than ten times in the time I've known her."

"Talking about me?" Samantha growled. "Never wise."

"I love you, Sammy."

"I _love_ you too, Alley!"

"She'll be fine. We have our disagreements."

There was silence for an additional ten minutes. The hallway was relatively straight, but they came to a few twists and turns along the way. ONI didn't seem to favor rounded designs on pretty much anything. Wherever they looked, there was only angular designs on the walls, the benches, and the doorways. It was as if they were walking down a modern art exhibit than a military installation. The silence was maddening, because the escapees were expecting something, anything to happen. But nothing came. Ironically, this heightened their adrenaline to peak levels. The only one that wasn't making any sort of sudden movements was the Spartan, who had his weapon lowered down.

"Oh come ON!" Konstantinos said out of anger. "Something happen already!"

"Calm down, Marine." John advised. "If there were anybody coming, I would tell you."

"Alex." Chris said, "We're OK." He smiled warmly.

Konstantinos took the smile with a grain of salt though. Ever since his outbursts got worse, he started to doubt the man he really knew nothing about. But, he gave Vennettilli the benefit of the doubt though and lowered the gun.

Chris was about to give an order, but Sally stopped him. "I think that you should be as calm as possible."

He looked at her with something of a fuss, but gave in.

"OK, you win."

"Get used to saying that, sir!" Borne joked.

Chris flicked his hand _forget it_. "John?"

The Spartan II tilted his helmet. "Sir?"

"Can you take the wheel for a while?"

"Yes sir."

Now that he was free from command, he whispered to Sally. "Promise that you'll let me win every now and again?"

"After all of our fights?" She snickered, "No, you're doing things the hard way."

"But you _cheat_!" Chris piped. "Remember Dxun?"

Sally laughed again. "Yeah, I remember Dxun. I remember you slamming your feet on my knees."

"And I remember you using your poor helpless girl routine to get me to lower my guard."

"You heard the Mandalorians. Any way you can get victory, take it."

Chris decided to change the subject. "Borne."

"What about him?" the Princess asked.

"I recall his name."

"Now that you mention it, I do. He applied for OMEGA not long after we had our first real battle a few years back."

"So, he didn't impress you?"

"Back then? No."

_SLAM_.

Guns were up and everyone took a knee. John, Konstantinos and Reyes formed a triangle surrounding Bunnie and Sonic. They all waited. The corridor behind them had sealed behind a blast door. Its lights were flashing.

John had been in situations like this where the Covenant had tried to box him in. Perhaps he could have broken through the doors, but no. The Lieutenant reasoned that the doors were too thick. "Cortana, what happened?"

"_Well, we've been locked out_."

"I can see that." The man said. "Why?"

"_I can hazard to guess that they really don't want us to stay_."

"_Why would we want to?_" NICOLE entered.

"_I'm glad we invited you into the conversation_." Cortana sarcastically said.

"_You're welcome. Listen, I'm doing security sweeps, but… they've turned off all of the cameras. Seriously, there's no detection coming out for us. No laser beams, no ion trails, no visibility cones from surveillance equipment… they're literally letting us walk out of here_."

There was a three second silence. "_Why?_" Cortana asked out of confusion. _"Marshall's spent billions trying to bring you in, and now he lets us walk out of here? This is ridiculous_."

"_Marshall might be a few carbon molecules short of a protein chain_."

While the AI conversation was going on, John waved his hand forward. "Move." He said.

Nobody said anything. They were getting tired of arguing.

Reluctantly, Chris and Sally continued their conversation. "So…" the Human began.

"Yeah…" the Mobian answered.

"Why didn't Borne impress you?"

"He was fresh into the military, and had no prior connection to the Freedom Fighters."

"You guys were an all-inclusive club."

"Not really." She shrugged. Sally pulled out her gun's magazine and counted the ammunition out of boredom. "Anybody who could fight in any way possible could join the Freedom Fighters. Many people were scared."

"Yeah, well, let's not forget we helped finish what you started."

"We had the situation with Robotnik very much in hand before you guys showed up."

"Oh yeah? He stepped up his game the minute news got out the we allied ourselves with your people."

"But anyway…" Sally finished, "We didn't trust Borne could be part of OMEGA. So we tested him."

"You recommended him to the ODSTs. Why?"

She shrugged. "I knew nothing about the ODSTs at the time! How could I have known that they drop from the sky in a one person box?"

"Well, in any case, " Chris glanced to Borne who was up in front glancing with sharp eyes down the hall. "Looks like he passed your test."

"Yes, but now that he's been brought back to mind, I want to check on his record. I think he's more than earned a spot for all that he's done. If not in OMEGA, there are other groups like ours, right?"

"Sure. A lot more now."

Borne must have caught whiff of the conversation and turned his head. "That wasn't the point though."

"Excuse me?" Sally asked.

"The entire reason I wanted in was because I wanted to be part of you guys. What the Freedom Fighters represented all that was _right_ with our world."

"Borne, it wasn't as simple as that."

"I know it wasn't."

"And also know, that you were not the first to want to join us. Thousands of people wanted to do what you wanted to do, but we couldn't accept anyone."

Borne's ears twitched. Sally was aware there was no easy way to say it. The Freedom Fighters didn't want to endanger any more lives than they already were. The smaller the group, the easier to operate."

"Just so you know…" William said walking alongside the pair, "I went to the farthest reaches of space in the hopes that you'd say yes. I've dropped into about fifty engagements saved men on the verge of death, and after every single one, I would sit in front of my computer for hours just waiting. I knew that the news wouldn't make it back home for days at least, but I hoped that I would get something." He took a second to wipe his eye. "You know, just something that would let me know that that this was all worth something."

_CLANG!_

Another blast door dropped down behind them. Marshall's cronies wanted them to really move along now.

Borne decided to continue his case. "Was I expecting anything like a hero's parade when I got back home? No, of course not. I didn't get one before, why the hell should I get one now since every notable thing I ever did was thousands of light years from home; too far to be worth a damn back on Mobius."

John briefly entered the conversation. "We're turning left here." He pointed in the direction of a coming intersection. "They might… and there we go."

_CLANG!_

A third blast door fell over the passage continuing forward, only leaving the path to the left as a viable option.

"This is getting a bit suspicious." Konstantinos noted. "'Conveniently' showing us the way to the launch bay, and then woosh, someone pulls a lever dropping us into a rancor pit or something."

Chris shook his head. "Dude, don't even joke about that; it ain't funny."

Konstantinos looked to Reyes, genuinely confused. "What did I say?"

"Don't ask." Rouge advised. "Oooh, My ribs feel like they're tearing apart. How much farther?"

"_About a hundred more feet, and then we take an immediate right_." Cortana said. "_There's an elevator that will take us up to the launch deck_."

Chris violently shook his head. "No way. Uh-uh. We're not taking any more elevators!"

Jackson groaned. "You're joking, right? Who knows how long we'd have to walk up the stairs!"

The Captain laughed. A bit too energetically. "Yeah, yeah, sure. All it takes is a flick of the wrist, and oops, a cable comes loose and we all fall to our deaths!"

Sally's eyes shifted. "Boys?"

Konstantinos and Reyes moved.

"GET YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM ME!" The Captain said.

"_You know, you're absolutely right._" Kapplin's ghost sniggered, "_It's just that easy to kill someone. Like a rat in a cage, gassed just to see how it reacts in its death throes._"

"I'm not going in that thing! I don't know about you, but I'm walking." He ignored the specter.

Sally tried to calm him down. This time, she was ready to act. "Listen, listen, OK. Maybe that might be the case, but if I go with you, will you calm down?"

Chris was actually breaking out in a cold sweat, but he nodded. "If you come… yeah, OK, sure. I'll go." He breathed deep. "A hundred feet? Sure."

* * *

They proceeded down the hall. A massive video screen covered the wall.

"Hey, check out the latest propaganda." Borne laughed.

"Oh, I love this one." Roan said. "Is this the one where they promise you the extra college credits if you join the navy?"

The video played, "_The Office of Naval Intelligence understands that education is the key to building a strong intelligence network. Every day, bright men and women realize their dreams to join the most prestigious intelligence agency in Known Space." _

"_Gentlemen?_" Cortana asked.

"Shush." Borne said.

"_ONI realizes that your education is the key to the future and we realize that education is expensive. Recruits will not only receive admission to great schools on over thirty worlds, but your credits will work towards climbing the ladder._"

"Augh, DAMN! So close!" Roan snapped his fingers. "Thank God I didn't have money on that."

A hundred feet passed in a flash. There indeed was a lift waiting for them. Cortana scanned the lift route and concluded that one of the elevators' floors was where a launch pad was. It was a cargo lift though which could hold a lot more than your average elevator.

NICOLE cracked, "_I guess we can even hold the Spartan_!"

"Quiet." Sally warned. "No jokes." She patted Chris' shoulder. His forehead was slick with sweat. She wondered what was going on in his head. She wondered what happened to him _in the space of an hour or so_. What was going on in his head?

"_Oh lovely. So we're actually waiting for the elevator_."

_Go away. You aren't real. You AREN'T REAL._

_ "Well, look at you, shit for brains. You're trying the old happy thoughts method. Gonna make me explode into unicorns and butterflies, huh_?"

_It could work._

"_You tried the same shit on Talahan and that did jack! You wanna know why? In real life, that doesn't work! Bad shit happens and there's nothing any rose-tinted glasses can do_."

_You don't think I know that? You don't think I can honestly see that me dying is a possibility here?_

"Possibility?!" Kapplin's ghost glided up next to Christopher's face. The Captain could see the cracks in his skull and could see the dim red dots of light in the ghosts' eye sockets. "_Your death is _guaranteed_. You can't fight us forever._"

_I've fought worse than you, Greg._

"_You see, you're wrong again. You're not fighting me. You're fighting _you_. Fight yourself all you'd like, but in the end, someone's going to lose in that one, and it will ALWAYS be YOU_."

The ghost clicked his jaw and straightened his uniform. "_You know, here's one for you: why do these guys want you to get into this elevator so bad_?"

Sally was trying to say something to him, but he couldn't hear her. He couldn't hear anything but Kapplin.

_Because it's the quickest way to get to the launch deck._

"_Yeah, elevators fail sometimes. True?_"

_Sure. _He wasn't sure where Kapplin was going with this.

"_They fall. The brakes may work, but we know they'll snap, and you'll fall to a mangled death._"

_You DON'T know that. _

"_You're right. I may not. But you do. Deep down. Marshall's not letting us go. It's the perfect trap_. _Surely you're bright enough to see that._"

It couldn't have been true. It just _couldn't have been_. The logic made no sense. Why would people he trusted with his life try to kill him! He trusted them, and they trusted him. But… but did they really? The Mercenaries, who could have been bought out at the last minute… John, whose true emotions were hidden behind that goddamn helmet…, The Marines whom he had never known before now… and _Hera_, who had been hiding things since this whole thing had started. It had to be true. It just _had_ to be. The logic made perfect sense.

They were in against him.

* * *

"I… I'm not going in there." He finally said.

"What?" Sally asked. "But you said you would."

"Well, forget it. I'm not going in that elevator. We're finding some stairs."

Borne walked up to him. "Listen, sir: stairs would work too, but if we can just get you on…"

Chris snapped, and snapped hard. "_I SAID I WASN'T FUCKING GETTING ON THAT THING! YOU FUCKERS ARE GOING TO LET ME DIE ON THAT THING!_" He plucked the pistol from his belt. "GET BACK! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Borne's jaw dropped. "Whoa. Whoa! Captain, put it down. Just give me the gun…"

Chris' eyes were glazed over. His reasoning was gone. He was a feral beast. "YOU TOUCH ME AND I'LL BLOW A SPREAD RIGHT THROUGH YOUR CHEST!" Chris backed up until he slammed into the back wall. He smashed through a holoscreen and held his gun in a waving pattern. His finger was on the trigger. He was ready to use it.

John snapped into action. He jumped in front of the group with his arms wide. "Captain! Drop your weapon now!"

Chris' eye twitched, and he held his gun straight without a single wobble.

"You don't think I see what you're trying to do?! You don't think I know that you're going to kill me… or hand you over to _them_?! All this time I thought you were on my side!"

"Oh shit." Borne said. "He's cracked. He's been possessed by the devil!"

"Borne!" John cracked. "I'm going to _ask_ you again… Captain! _Put down your weapon_!"

The young man's eyes flared. "STAY BACK!"

John took a step forward, and Chris fired.

Of course, the round didn't even scratch the Lieutenant's armor. The round shattered off the energy shield and made a sharp whine as it ricocheted. John just walked towards him. The insanity-gripped Captain fired again. And again.

Everyone had their guns raised, but nobody dared to make a move.

"STOP!" Sally shouted in absolute anger and terror. "STOP!"

But he didn't stop. John moved calmly towards the captain, who kept on hammering rounds at the Spartan. By the time he was halfway through the mag, John grabbed the gun and twisted his arm.

Chris screamed and dropped the weapon. He grabbed hand with tears running from his eyes. It was twisted far beyond Human capability. In that instant, the spell was broken. The pain and the cloudiness were suddenly gone. He was back, but he was far from comfortable.

"JOHN! STOP! PLEASE!"

But the Spartan either didn't believe him, or didn't care. His armored gauntlet wrapped around Chris' windpipe, closing it off. Chris gripped gauntlet with his left hand, as his right was twisted at a nearly ninety degree angle.

"Stop…! I don't know what… what…" He could barely make the words. No oxygen was getting to his brain. He began to feel fuzzy, and the black crept in around his vision. He didn't so much hear his next words but rather felt the vibrations in his throat. "…What came… over…"

He blacked out.

"NO!" Hera cried.

"What did you _do_!" Sally demanded. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

John turned around to face her. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. She could guess at his emotions. He had none. He probably kept a straight face through that. He choked Christopher like the methodical killer that he was. She _hated_ him at that point in time. She didn't even care that Chris had pointed a gun at them all. She knew that wasn't him. She felt nothing but rage.

"I incapacitated him." John replied evenly. "Cortana?"

"_His heart rate's definitely slowed, respiration has lessened, but there's a pulse. He's alive._"

Sally walked towards him.

"Highness, I wouldn't recommend that." The Spartan advised.

"Please, John." Sally said in a low, tired voice. "Don't take him away. Not now."

Hera was beside herself. "15 years. I spent fifteen years of my life looking for him."

The lift had arrived already, but nobody had cared.

"Why?" Sonic asked. "Why would you spend 15 years looking for this guy?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"You're right." The hedgehog said. "I haven't understood a single thing that's been going on here."

* * *

Everyone was downright somber, but angry at Chris as well. His insanity was having an effect on them as well. John picked Chris up and threw him over his shoulder. He also made sure to twist his hand back into its proper position. It was fortunate that the Captain was unconscious. He would have been in terrible pain the whole time. The hand would still need some treatment anyway. "We should move." He said stepping onto the elevator. "The impound dock is right above here."

"Is he worth the trouble?" Jackson asked. "You saw that. He was ready to shoot us."

"Yeah. I did." Roan concurred. "But, this guy isn't right in the head. If I was seeing what he was, I wouldn't be all there either."

"We need him." Sally said. "I _love_ him. I'm not leaving him behind no matter what."

"He's not a bad man, Samantha." Bunnie insisted. "This whole thing's screwed up. We have to save him."

Sally appealed to the mercenary. "If you don't care about him, at least care about getting paid." She said that with icy bite and a look of absolute loathing in her eyes. "Can you do that, Sam?"

"It's not getting easier, Highness. Come on, Allen." She went on the lift with her partner. "Your boyfriend is scaring me more than I've ever seen." She said truthfully. "You know what it's like to protect someone who can very well kill you? I don't think many people do."

Sally asked to speak with John. They were the only ones not on the elevator.

"Please… just don't hurt him. I can't lose him now. We need him."

"I understand, but I can't let him harm you. Your Highness." Sally blinked but made eye contact. She only saw John's visor. "I remember the time we all shared together. The Phoenix, Rhen Var, Malak , Outpost 49. I know this man as well as you do. I need you to know that if he does attack you, I will be forced to act."

"You'll kill him." She whispered.

"If it comes to that."

"Please…"

"I can't promise that, Highness." The laden Spartan entered the lift and waited.

"Come on, Sal." Sonic urged.

Sally looked up and found a camera watching that very hallway.

"I don't care if the cameras are off. I know you can hear me. I will find you." She said with gritted teeth, loud enough for the thing to pick up. "I will find you and make you pay for all you've done. I hope you've been entertained."

Sally said no more and joined the others. The elevator moved a little bit with her added weight, but she didn't flinch. She just wanted to go home and sleep in her bed. She wanted to be alone, but she knew there was nothing that she could do. She needed to be strong and carry on. She wanted to be strong, but one look at the Captain's unconscious eyes rolled up into his head made her feel so weak inside.

* * *

_What happened?_

He was sitting in a chair. He was in a classroom of sorts. He spotted several whiteboards, video screens, hologram projectors, and even some books in shelves. He then spotted some logos on the walls and recognized where he was – Fort New Hampshire, his training grounds before he was shipped to Talahan V. Birds were singing outside, the sun was shining, and Captain Benedict was sitting behind the CO's desk.

But his face was grotesque. His skin dripped, muscle was cooked, and his bones shone among it all. His face was a skull, much like Kapplin's but his jaw was gone.

To his horror, it spoke clearly.

"_You were rendered unconscious, I presume_."

_That was sneaky._

"_You will address me as _sir_._"

_Not a chance. I made you, and I can destroy you_.

"_Is that so? So why haven't you_?"

_Because…_

He didn't have a reason.

"_Because you can't, can you?_" Benedict's empty eye sockets flashed. A class of corpses appeared. Men with various grave injuries sat in the desks around him. "_You obviously made these men and women, right_?" Benedict's ghost stood up. "_You mean to say you conjured Romano there_?"

Sid's decomposed corpse smiled. It was a horrible sight to behold.

"_You called up Jeff Winston_?"

Half of Winston's head was missing as if a round blew through it.

_Jeff made it off Talahan._

"_Yes, but he was dead to you afterwards. No communications from his ship, disappearance for five years? He's legally dead and you think of him as such. Those men you left behind? They mean nothing to you. Why would you doubt me, when you're really doubting yourself?_"

_The manipulation won't work. _

"_But it has. You snapped_. _Greg is… quite the talker considering he doesn't have any lungs left._"

Benedict's specter was right. He did snap. He could have been killed, and then all he would have worked for would have vanished into the ether. But then again, they made it this far. They could make it all the way.

_We will find they key to this. I'll get this out of my head, and I'll be rid of you_.

Benedict paced around the classroom, chuckling was terrible to see as he had no jaw to move. "_You make it seem so easy. No. We won't go anywhere. Even if you do succeed, we're not leaving you. Not entirely_." He gestured to the class of corpses. "_You'll see us in the corner of your eye. You'll see us in the time it takes you to blink. You'll see us in the shadows, and you'll see us even in the calmness of space._" Benedict walked slowly up to Vennettilli, leaned on the table, and looked at him.

Chris was terrified of the ghost. He looked into the skull, and made contact with the glowing pinpricks of the eyes. He was scared, but almost hypnotized by them.

"_We'll follow you as you grow old, as you suffer heart attacks, and as those around you wither. In the end, you will die, just as all living things do. And when you do… when you draw your last breath on your deathbed…_"

A chorus of the dead called out. "_We will be waiting. We will bring you home._" He looked around. They were all looking at him. All of them smiling, all without eyes, all of their faces running with blood.

He tried to cry out, but he could not. He could only feel his heart beat in terror. He couldn't escape. He was doomed, even if he won.

He would be back.

He would be damned.

"_You are dismissed, son_."

Then it was gone. The classroom was gone, the dead were gone, and Benedict was gone.

There was only the black of unconsciousness.

Beautiful silence.


	29. Chapter 29: The Prisoner

Chapter 29: The Prisoner  
June 10th, 3239, 0009 hours  
En Route to Dock  
The Office of Naval Intelligence

John didn't even feel that much of a change as he moved with a man draped over his shoulder. Within his new armor, he barely even felt the weight. He wasn't heavy either. Possibly only ninety kilos at the heaviest. The Captain was out cold following his outburst. John made sure to secure the man's weapon and zip tied him just in case.

Within the confines of his helmet, John had a silent conversation with Cortana

"Can you imagine what he's going through?" she asked him.

"No." John simply said.

"A direct interaction with Forerunner tech that actually _implanted_ something in his mind is having unbelievable consequences on his reasoning skills."

"Were you studying something like this before?"

"I had an opportunity to sneak some views at some files that were from the Blackgate facility. The soldiers that were tested there though didn't show the sort of reactions that the Captain did."

Cortana sounded confused about the whole ordeal. "Why do you think that is?"

"Bear with me, because we're going into some Forerunner terminology." She warned.

"Alright. Shoot." John waited in the back of the elevator carefully adjusting the unconscious captain. The Princess followed him silently, standing close to the Captain. He glanced at her. "Are you going to use the speakers?"

"No, not yet. I'm still just brainstorming. Alright. The Forerunners had a concept of a task that they could set upon Humanity, one that is woven into our DNA. The closest word that we can use to describe this is one derived from Celtic religion called a '_geas_', which is pretty much translated as _Thou Shalt Do This_. In Celtic, a _geas_ referred to a magical curse. To the Forerunners on the other hand, it's technological; genetic; measurable, whatever term you want to use. It influences _choices_ that an individual makes to reach an ends for the Forerunners or even Humanity. It's mind control _ad nauseum_ until the task is completed."

"So, the Captain has this… _geas_ then."

"No, not exactly."

Sally caressed the Captain's face and whispered something, "What have they done to you? What have _you_ done with yourself?"

John got back to Cortana. "So, what is it then?"

"What our friend is experiencing doesn't follow the rules of a _geas_. Records from the Bornstellar Relation discovered on Onyx…"

"The what?" John asked, confused.

"It's a testimony written by a Forerunner identified as Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting. Stay focused Chief!"

"Continue."

"Anyway, the Relation states that the Humans that have been implanted with a _geas_ started gaining memories of ancient Human ancestors. However, if I'm understanding this correctly, the Captain has been experiencing memories of a _Forerunner_ if what he says is correct. The Didact."

"The Forerunner supreme commander?" John asked, recalling the data that he saw on Installation 00… what seemed like yesterday.

"Yes, the Didact."

John was confused, and rightfully so. According to Cortana, the Forerunners had switched up one of their established rituals. "Why would a Forerunner want to implant their own memories into a _geas_?"

"See, First of all, the logical conclusion is that the memories would want to be viewed so information could be passed to the recipient. Secondly, this isn't a _geas _though!"

"Now you're really starting to lose me. Why not?"

"Because if the Didact wanted to pass along simple information of a task, it probably wouldn't be as destructive. What the Captain saw affected him so deeply it's frightened him. He may not even realize it. This may not be a _task_, but a _warning_; a plea; a cry for help."

"From the _Forerunners_?" For some reason, the primal part of his mind started to tingle in fear. If something was so bad that the Forerunners had to call for help, just what _was_ it?

"Like I said, I don't have this 100% figured out. Give me time."

John looked at the unconscious man on his shoulder. Just what were the Forerunners so afraid of? The Flood? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe this was something else entirely.

The elevator stopped at the top of the shaft a moment later. As before, the hallway was empty.

"Great, more corridors." Roan said, bringing his 1911 to bear but keeping his finger off the trigger.

"Move out." The Spartan commanded. They were on the right floor. The shuttle bay for this facility would have a craft.

"I wish we had the _Fox_ with us." Hera grumbled. "I loved that ship like my own child."

"Well, looks like 'Child Services' has it locked up. You did leave it alone on a frozen plateau." Roan quipped with a slight smile.

"Our evidence was on that ship." Jackson growled. "Our FDRs! Both of them!"

"Well, there was that." The male mercenary said.

Sally stayed behind them all walking alongside the Spartan. She continued to look at Chris silently. She only imagined what he was feeling. She looked at John with a burning anger for essentially strangling the Human. The Spartan could have killed him!

But he wasn't dead. She wondered if he was just as good as dead anyway. Even if he survived all of… this, would he ever recover from this? Would he ever be the person he was before?

No, the man she first met on Mobius was long gone. He was replaced by a new man who now had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She grabbed his hand that was hanging. She found the golden ring on his hand and held it firmly in hers.

"Cortana, do you know what's wrong with him? Why is this happening to him?"

"_I'm still working on that, Highness_." The AI said.

"Is that the _best_ answer you have for me?!" the Princess said with surprising anger.

"_Yes, it is. This is complex Forerunner technology we're dealing with. The original implanter, the Didact or perhaps his wife, the Librarian, could have meant for _anyone_ to receive this. As to why he's reacting to it this strongly… in my experience, I don't think he was strong enough to take it_."

Sally stared at John. It was the bests he could do since Cortana wasn't there. "This man…" the Mobian began, "has proven himself to me and his peers many times over! Don't you dare doubt him!"

John turned his head as he walked. "Nobody's doubting his bravery, ma'am."

"_It's just… there's still limitations to being Human, if I may_." Cortana said. "_Perhaps if his mental acuity was increased, he would have fared a bit better_."

"And what do _you_ know about being Human?" Sally hissed, teeth gritted tensely.

The AI didn't have an answer for her.

The seemingly endless hallways ended as the pathway ahead opened up. This had to be one of the impound hangers, or perhaps it was a supply dock. In any case, it was a large room with a high ceiling. Cranes hung suspended from the ceiling and cargo containers sat in the corners.

"Big room." Borne said. "Me no like. Lots of places to hide for snipers."

The Lieutenant concurred. "Spread out. Do a quick sweep and regroup here.

Borne and Roan ran ahead, weapons down, but eyes up. They were cautious. If Marshall was the sadistic type, he might hide a 'surprise' for them right at the very end. The intercoms were quiet. Usually a dock like this was constantly getting flight information and schedule updates. There was nothing. It was disturbing.

Jackson and Hera ran to the left and right respectively. Both of the women had their guns up though ready to rumble. The rest of the group was backing up John. It was the Captain that was the objective, and if he took a bullet, there was a good chance it would kill him.

"_Augh! Jesus_!" Hera called over the radio.

"What?!" John said.

"_Ah! Just a robot dolly! Jesus Christ, little guy scared me!_"

"_It's the arms._" Jackson said jokingly. "_Keep an eye on that little guy_."

"Focus." John said, looking for a ship. These were mostly cargo models, though they were a cut above most commercial models. These ships were also equipped for orbital jaunts, though they wouldn't need to go that far. It would get them to New York in no problem.

"Everyone aboard, now!"

"_I'll do a quick security sweep_." NICOLE announced. "_If there are any recording devices or other little surprises, I'll try to take them offline._"

Cortana said, "_I was about to suggest the exact same thing._"

"_Well, guess I beat you to the punch then, blueberry!_"

"_BLUEBERRY?!_"

The Spartan hushed his AI. "Now is _not_ the time. Can you monitor air traffic and see if there's a way to let us slip away?"

"_I can do that. Affirmative_."

"Konstantinos, Reyes, move into the ship and clear it."

"Aye-aye, sir." The Marines said.

"Jackson, Hera, are you clear?"

"_Clear on the left, sir_."

"_Clear on the right_."

John changed his channel. "Konstantinos, Reyes: report on the ship."

It was Reyes who answered. "_Ship is secured, Lieutenant. Looks like there's room enough in here for all of us_."

John turned to Sally. Actually, he turned to the computer that she had and addressed her. "NICOLE, how's the bomb sweep going?"

"_I think we can breathe easier, Lieutenant. Not reading any IR signatures, none of the usual bomb elements in the ship… I can't even see a makeshift device onboard. As for out here… as long as we stay away from the flammable barrels of jet fuel, I think we should be OK._"

John didn't crack a smile. Despite her lighthearted nature, she had done her job.

"_Only one last thing: someone's gotta get up there and tap the controls that lower the blast doors_."

"I'll do it." He said. "Everyone gets aboard the freighter. " John ordered all of the others into a place where they would be safe. "Hera, you're the pilot. Run a pre-flight check and get those engines up and running."

"Aye, sir!" She nodded and ran straight to the freighter, visibly excited to get back behind the yoke.

John started to go to the area that NICOLE had highlighted on his HUD. It was a shielded control box located about fifty feet above the ground. This was the place where techs would go to oversee takeoff and landing of other craft. From there, they could control fuel, electronics, and especially the blast doors.

John jogged up the metal steps as if they were nothing, still keeping his weapon drawn just in case. Sometimes ambushes could come from anywhere, and he had seen more men die in doorways than anywhere else combined. One well placed shotgun blast could take down his shields, and some of the pellets could still rip through his armor.

Though the danger never came. There was no assailant waiting for him in the control box. Instead, an empty room filled with controls greeted him. He had no idea where to start. "Cortana?"

"_Oh, now do you want my help_?"

"Focus. Where's that switch?"

"_You're looking for a small device that looks like a lightswitch, maybe about five to seven centimeters long and painted bright red. Since this is a very important lightswitch, look for anything under glass. Look there._"

"Where?"

"_Don't move your head, big guy, just look straight ahead_."

He saw it right away. There was a glass or plastic cage that was draped over just such a switch. The label said "Door Control". He had to assume this was what they were looking for. He carefully gripped the unconscious Captain and lifted up the cage to press the button.

"_Spartan, you will regret taking this action against the government_."

John whipped around with gun drawn. He looked for the source of the voice, and concluded that it was coming from the speakers.

"President Marshall?"

"_If you lock those gates and seal the escaped prisoners in that ship for incarceration, we can forget any of this unfortunate business with you._"

"This far in… that's not happening sir. Why did you leave the doors open up until now?"

"_Because I always assumed you would do the honorable thing and commit to your duty_."

John took a breath. "Sir, my _duty_ is to the UNSC to protect it and Earth from harm."

"_And _this_ is the harm that you have been sworn to protect us from! These terrorists, killers, and the utterly insane man on your shoulder! Let us _help_ them! _Rehabilitate_ them! See what they know!_"

John was quiet for a second. "Sir. I've been taught to weigh the odds and look at all the facts. In the end, it looks like the only killer here… is _you_, sir."

"_One last chance, John. I will give you one last chance to come to your senses and carry out your duty_."

"Will it bring the people on the _Reaper_ back, Mister President? Or the _Jones_?"

"_How dare you accuse-_"

"_Goodbye, sir_."

"_Jamming that for our sanity…_" Cortana said. "_Well, he had a lot to say_. _Striking out against the government now? Upsetting the established order_?"

"I'm not against Earth. I'm against Marshall."

"_And here I thought Marshall _was _Earth_."

John gave the thinnest of smiles. "President's just a figurehead. Remember?"

"_You have a beautiful sense of humor, John_."

The blast doors started to rise as John tapped the switch. Beyond the bay, darkness and the light from thousands of buildings twinkled like stars in the sky. John didn't stay to admire them though. He began down the steps to head back to the craft. The Spartan could see blue flames coming from the engines. They were ready to go.

"_Preflight checks complete. Engines are like angel wings_." Hera said, admiring her craft. "_I think I'll be keeping this one!_"

"_You know that's stealing, Major_." Jackson said.

"_It's not stealing. It's extended period borrowing."_

"Are we set to lift off?" John demanded.

"_Waiting on you, sir!_"

John made his way onto the cargo ship where the others were waiting for him. The Spartan made his way up the steps, feeling as if the compartments around him were incredibly small. His helmet was close to touching the ceiling and his hands felt too big for some of the supports. The area that he entered connected to the main airlock was something of a lounge or recreation room for the freighter staff. A couple of padded couches were on the side of the rooms, probably bolted to the floor. A modest table stood between the two. A small kitchen was to the side with a television on a nearby wall. It was a Spartan-looking room.

John chuckled internally at the irony of that.

The Marines sat in what looked like acceleration chairs on either side of him. They had seat belts fastened and gripped the handholds.

"Wanna seat, sir?" Reyes asked indicating an empty chair.

"I'll manage." The Spartan said gripping part of the ceiling. "Though I think _he'll_ take you up on that." He slowly lowered the unconscious Captain onto the vacant chair, strapping him in. His head lolled to one side and his eyes were still rolled up in his head. At first glance, he seemed almost dead. "Major, we're ready to go." He told Hera.

In the cockpit, Abigail found an ill-fitting helmet and slotted it on her head. She flipped down the HUD visor and allowed data to stream across it. She got readings from the engines, lift information from the ship's computer, and a highlighted route that the ship could take out of the bay.

"Any computer assistant present?" she asked.

"_Present_." The computer console said in a female voice without any accent. "_How may I assist_?"

"What is the name of this vessel?" Hera asked getting ready to power up the throttle.

"_Vessel is identified as the _Alameda_, registration number 46-217-09_."

"Alameda?" Hera asked, looking to Sally, her copilot. "What's an Alameda?"

"Got me." She shrugged. "Take us up."

Hera activated the internal PA: "This is your captain speaking; we want to inform you we are now taking off! Trays up, seatbelts on, people!" the Major pushed down on the throttle, delivering thrust to the engines. Slowly, the _Alameda_ pulled away from the ground and hovered in the air. Slowly, Hera angled the engines to a point where they would be moving forward but kept their height.

She followed her HUD, which painted a neon green path out of the door and into the darkness.

"Highness, I'm going to be dimming the lights." She said. "Going to activate night flying mode, that is, if the ship has it."

"Be my guest." Sally said, sitting back, staring into the night.

Hera shut down the cabin lights one by one, plunging them in darkness. She then turned on the ship's NV systems. The world beyond the cockpit appeared as greenish color. Buildings were clearly visible in low light conditions. Hera expertly brought the freighter out of the ONI dock and into the sky. "Good riddance." She said under her breath.

"Nice takeoff. Statistically, those are the worst parts of flights."

"I thought it was the landings." Hera cracked a smile.

Sally was happy that she could joke about things, but for how much longer? It was clear that they were approaching some sort of endgame. She could feel it. This problem began on Erath and it was going to end on Earth. In the very planet that Chris was born in. In the very city he was born in. It seemed very fitting that he… _they_ would end it there.

It wasn't about her Human anymore. It was about Mobius, and indeed, Earth.

"Major, can I ask you more questions about your home?"

"Uh, sure. Just try not to distract me too much."

"Back in your home universe, I was in love with Sonic, right?"

"Yeah. Sure you were. All that, and some. He wasn't a commoner anymore. He was a noble. You gave him a title, respect, and the perks that went along with it."

"A title?"

"Ah, I forget what it was. Lord Preator or something like that. It was pretty authoritarian. Please excuse my memory gaps. It has been twenty years after all."

"Was I married to him? Did I have children with him?"

"Married? I think. But it was unofficial. Nobody really knew about it. But then again, _everyone knew_. It was one of those secrets that was too good to keep, but you didn't dare breathe a word about."

"And children?"

"That is where my memory fails you again, Highness. Hold on."

Hera pulled the stick into a curving climb. The _Alameda_ coasted past a lit skyscraper in the dark. It passed by so fast that it seemed like a blur. Hera seemed incredibly comfortable with city flying. She dipped and dove over highways, and almost seemed to buzz by buildings.

"_You need any help, Major_?" NICOLE suggested.

"Nope." Abigail said all smiles. "This is where I soar. Pardon the pun."

The door opened behind them. Sally turned expecting to see Chris stumbling through the threshold, but all she saw was the green giant, John. He had his helmet off so they could see his face. Sally could have sworn that he looked even paler than when she last saw him. His eyes were dark and mysterious. It was as if taking off the helmet did little to take away from the man's enigmatic nature.

"How are we up here?"

"Smooth sailing, Spartan." Hera reported. "A bit of turbulence, but you can't beat them all. Once we're clear of the skyline, we can accelerate on the Pacific Skyway towards the United States west coast."

"_Actually, don't do that._" Cortana said. "_They'll be expecting that_."

"Well, you wouldn't? It's a hell of a lot shorter than the alternative. Plus, we'll have plenty of fuel left over."

"_Yes, but it's what Marshall expects us to do. If we take the Pacific Skyway, there'll be a fleet of ships waiting to intercept us the minute we hit San Francisco._"

"So, what's your idea? Basically take the Western Flight Passage instead? Go across the Atlantic instead?"

"_That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Take the less-likely alternative. It'll put a dent in our fuel, but we'll get directly to New York._"

"You know, at the risk of plunging into the ocean."

"_Just fly the ship, Major. I'll keep tabs on our fuel. Also, I'll need NICOLE's help in helping me change this ship's ID signatures._"

"Change them?" Sally asked, confused. "Wouldn't they notice something like that?"

"_They would, if it weren't being done in-flight in one of the busiest traffic corridors on Earth_."

NICOLE piped up, "_Cortana's right. With so many ships in transit, it's likely that any watching eyes may misinterpret our signal for another one. By the time we hit New York, the _Alameda _ will be history_."

"Well, it has my blessing!" Hera said. "Get the creeps off of me, and I'll get us there."

While the AIs got to work trying to crack the freighter's ID tags, Hera pulled the ship away from the city and up into the sky. Laced just below the clouds was the transit corridor. Earth had 10 major corridors like this all over the skies. Ships often merged in an out of these "Sky lanes" to get from one major part of the planet to another. It was also the safest way. True, ships could just free-drive their way across the land, but that was oftentimes dangerous. Hera was able to get in without a sweat. A heavyset freighter pulled back to make room for her.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen. We're on the highway." Hera announced. "ETA to New York is ten hours, maybe twelve at our current speed." She toggled the autopilot and set it to follow the corridor and obey any transit laws."

"Are we going to be fine?" Sally asked her.

"Oh sure. Usually there's a half mile distance between any two given ships. We're also going at the same speed. There's no danger of hitting anyone. Get up, Highness. Stretch your legs."

Sally did so, unclipping her seat restraints and standing up. She walked back out of the cabin, following John as he made his way back to the lounge.

The others were still sitting in their seats.

"Seatbelt sign is off." She announced. The Marines and her friends sighed in relief and unbuckled themselves.

"That was smooth." Reyes said. "Way better than dropships."

"Remember, this ship was probably designed for _civilians_." Konstantinos said. "Comfort was a major design goal."

Sally walked up to the two Marines. "How is he?"

"Ahh…" Reyes said. "Not better if that's what you're asking. "Takeoff didn't stir him awake. He just rolled his head. Think I heard him muttering something in his sleep."

"Muttering something?" Sally said, suddenly concerned.

"Sounds like gibberish."

"If only it were that simple." She sat on one of the vacated chairs and looked at Chris. One of his eyes was barely open. His pupils were rolled up into his head and he made no reaction to her being close."

"Christopher. Wake up. Please, wake up!"

* * *

_Oh God, is it dark._

There was no light. No beacons for him to see. It was just darkness for all eternity. He hoped that there was something that he could use just to gauge some sort of distance, but there was nothing. Just a bleak emptiness.

For a second, Chris wondered if he was truly dead. He wondered that instead of oblivion, he was sitting in a void, completely conscious for the rest of time. The prospect made him want to scream, but the scream would be eaten up by the vacuum around him.

And they were talking to him the whole time. Chris could have sworn that several times out of the corner of his vision, there were flashes of red eyes blinking in the dark. They were out there… waiting for him to crack.

"So… you've spent some time in our home."

The voice belonged to the demonic thing that was once known as Greg Kapplin to him.

"Do you like it? Maybe you want a timeshare here?"

Chris summoned all the composure he could afford. "Not my scene, Lieutenant."

"Then maybe you'll prefer it in the real world. You know… the one where you were attacked by your own friends."

"That wasn't my fault and you know it?"

The eyes returned dead in front of him. Chris was instantly disturbed. "Oh, don't I know it. Who fired that gun? Oh right. It was you. You made the decision. I merely swayed your thinking. Peer pressure."

A click of a jaw came from the night.

"Ain't it beautiful?"

"You're not keeping me in here forever."

"You're right. I may not be…"

At those words, thousands of pairs of lights winked into existence. Thousands of them. They were all silent.

"But they might. May I introduce you to every single soul that has died because of your incompetence or command decisions? Some of these people have had the pleasure of dying by your hand as well. And they're hungry for revenge!"

"They're not going to touch me."

"Give up! Give up, you little twerp! Let it all end! For us and for you! Let the memories overflow you! Let the death drown you, and in death, you will find peace."

He didn't want to die. He didn't. There was still more to do. He did the only thing he could do. He thought with all his might of the Librarian. He thought of her to save whatever was left of his life.

When he opened his eyes, the legions of the damned were gone, and the Lifeworker was there. She lit up the area they were in. Chris saw that he was standing in the throne room of Castle Acorn.

"Librarian… thank you."

"You saved yourself, warrior." The fragment of the Lifeworker said in her angelic tone. "I was merely the way." She looked upon him. "Are you ready to receive more memories?"

"You're willing to give them to me?"

"Yes. But your mind is young as is your body. I am not sure what affects it will have on a cha_manune_. But I may only do so at your own choice, my precious Human."

"Will you return me to consciousness?"

"Yes. But it will not be as easy as it was before. The mind of a Human is easy to break." She didn't mean this as an insult. Rather, it was sadness in her voice.

"If I stay here any longer, I'll die. If I leave, at least I'll have a chance."

"So be it. Prepare yourself, Human. The memories of a Warrior-Servant may be stressful on your mind. But this was your choice." The Librarian clapped her hands and a ball of light expanded Chris screamed as a new pain shot through his skull. This one felt as if I took a flaming sword through his brain. He almost blacked out again, but a new voice came. It was none of the old demons, or the Librarian.

"Get up, boy!"

Chris didn't understand at first. Then it clicked in his head. He wasn't being asked. He was jut given an _order_.

"I said get up! Don't Humans teach their young to obey their superiors?"

Chris looked up at who was talking. It was the tallest man that he had ever seen in his life. He was a giant. Chris had to crane his neck just to see his face. And what a face he had. It scowled at him with brown eyes and a tuft of hair on his head. Chris guessed he was a Forerunner, but he had expected someone a little more… graceful.

It was clear that the man could read his mind. "Oh, I apologize! Next time I'll take the form of something lower so that I won't frighten you! Perhaps an Engineer!"

"Who are you?"

The program of the Forerunner stood proudly. "I am the Didact, senior military commander of the Ecumene Warrior-Servant Corps."

Chris pointed at him with understanding. "You… you're her husband! The Librarian!"

"She is my wife. Yes." It was clear that the Didact… or rather this recording of him was not willing to talk more about that. That wasn't what he was here for. "I was the commander of the entirety of the Forerunners' military forces. I and my staff laid waste to those who threatened the Ecumene, including the Humans of millennia past. But that is a story for another time."

"The Librarian showed me a memory. The black hole at the center of the galaxy."

"Ah, she did. Did she?" The Didact placed his hands behind his back and stood as if he were a Human military officer. "Yes. That indeed where many lives were foolishly wasted. This was well before the war with the Humans; well before the time when I found the Captive on Charum Hakkor, and well before the Halos were constructed.

The throne room vanished. Once again, he was in the field of stars. Alien numbers and phrases scrolled past his vision. It meant nothing to him though. All that stood in his mind was the stars. In the distance was a hole in space. It was dark. Far darker than the void surrounding him.

"That's the supermassive black hole."

"Tell me, what do you know of such phenomena?" the Didadt's program asked.

"They're the remains of supermassive stars. So much matter condensing and dying in one place causes a singularity to form." This was all just regurgitating facts from school. This was pretty much common knowledge.

"Good. You aren't as ignorant as I first suspected."

Chris believed he should take that as a compliment.

"But surely you can see that there is no star in the sky that can produce something this big."

"No. When the galaxy formed, um, it must have been a result of all the stuff that made it being grouped together."

"Observant." The Didact said in an even voice. "In my rate's tongue, we would have called this the Abyss."

The Captain shuddered at the name. Looking at the hole in space, it made him scared.

"There are few things that scare Forerunners, Human. Come." The Didact waved him forward. Every step he took was silent. Chris followed him. He looked down and saw that he had no body. It was just his consciousness in this void. This was all a fantastic display of Forerunner technology on a scale he hadn't seen before. Then again, he hadn't seen much of Forerunner technology at all.

"Tell me, what are Humans afraid of?"

"The only sure things in life: death and taxes!"

The Warrior-Servant glanced at the Captain with reproach. Humor was obviously not a trait of this man.

"I see discipline is not taught to your kind anymore. Perhaps you would wish to take this more seriously?" The Forerunner growled. "Perhaps you would feel better in the dark."

That wasn't fair. Could this Forerunner program _do _that? Well, it took him out of the dark. Perhaps it could put him back in. Chris decided to shut up and do as he was asked.

"We're afraid of a great many things. Minor phobias to huge terrors. I remember when I was young, I was afraid of… well, of the dark."

"You associate darkness with death."

"Well, no. I didn't, at least. I was afraid because I didn't know what would be waiting for me."

The Didact huffed in what Chris assumed was approval. Or perhaps thankfulness that he didn't tell another bad joke. The Captain wondered in amazement at how much the Forerunners looked like Humanity. As the Didact set his jaw, Chris wondered in the difference between the Librarian and her Husband. They were quite an odd couple.

Kind of like himself and the Princess. Perhaps odder unions have been formed in the past.

"Your answer is satisfactory, boy."

_Well gee, thanks_.

"And I am quite capable of reading your thoughts as well. We are, after all, tenants in the same cell. Set your tongue. The Humans may have gotten away with testing our restraint, but I can lose patience."

"I apologize… ah… what is your title?"

"You will refer to me only as you would a superior officer. Is that understood?"

"Yes Di… ah, yes _sir_."

The Didact made what Chris assumed was something approaching a smile. "Good. It seems Humans can learn after all."

The Captain let the remark slide past. Despite only being a programmed, quasi-AI version of himself, the Didact was clearly the one in charge, and unlike the Librarian, could simply _turn himself off_ should he get _bored_ of the little Human.

"Now, follow me, Captain, for this is critical to my objective and yours. Once we get this over with, I believe we will both be happy to part ways."

Chris kept his mouth in check as he followed the Didact through what appeared to be empty space.

"I remember this. So long ago." The program said in such a convincing way that Chris detected the agony in his voice. "So many men. We were there just to check up on it."

"What happened, sir?" Chris asked, standing next to the Warrior-Servant. "What happened that day?"

"Well, we were not obviously welcome." The Didact said. "Something detected us, and did not allow us to travel any further. The Abyss simply pulled my men in." The Didact was suddenly very quiet. For a Forerunner that size, even for a computer program, Chris would have mistaken him for the real deal. "I wish things went differently. I was wrong about the whole thing."

"Sir?"

"I would wish you not to stray from our focus. Pay attention!"

The black hole grew in incredible size. For a moment, Chris believed that he was going to be swallowed by the beast. Starlight bent around the Abyss forming a strange halo. Soon he saw the skeletal flower in orbit against all laws of physics.

"You have seen this station before, have you not, warrior?"

"Yes. I've seen it in a vision before."

"Then you know about as much as we do about it?"

Chris turned to look at the Forerunner. "You don't know anything about it?"

"The device is ancient. Easily hundreds of millions of years old. Perhaps even billions when we consider the age of the galaxy."

"So the Forerunners didn't build this." Chris said. He already came to that conclusion earlier. But perhaps the Didact knew a bit more…

"No. The design of the station doesn't match the Precursors either. Whatever designed this was very old indeed. Far older than the Forerunners. Perhaps even the Precursors. But this was all just speculation among our scientists. When we showed images to the Builders, they were dumbfounded. By all accounts, this _thing _should have been pulled in to the damned Abyss millennia ago."

"But it hasn't. That means that somehow… it must be suspended in space."

"Yes, we saw that. However none of our devices could withstand something so powerful for so long. And observe Human…" the image increased even further. Chris saw the green beam descend into the black hole. "You see this?"

"Yeah, the green beam. Do you have any idea what it is?"

"No." the Didact's program responded with no shame. "We did not have much time before the first ships were pulled in. From what we could determine, it sits on the very cusp of the event horizon of the Abyss."

"This looks like no bomb I've ever seen."

"Bomb?" the Didact said. "Did you say a _bomb_?" The massive Forerunner made what the Captain assumed was a smile. "I can assure you boy that this is no bomb. If we're right… it's a prison."

Chris was silenced. The Didact made no emotion. His steel-grey eyes bored into him. "Have you never thought of a more perfect spot for your enemies?" the Forerunner paced and looked at the black hole, admiring the brilliance of it. "Trapped in a place where light itself would never escape. One would surely go mad in a place where the light of millions of years never leaves. The chaos would be unimaginable."

"But that's impossible." Chris said. "Nobody could survive that."

"I pray to the Mantle that you are correct then, Human." The Didact said looking at the skeletal space station. "Because I shudder to think about what… or even _who_ may be lying in the core of that monstrosity, begging to escape."

For some reason, the words sent a spike of fright that Chris had never known before. It was unimaginable. So utterly _alien_. What could possibly be past the event horizon of that beast? What would you have to _do_ to get thrown in there?"

The Didact sensed this and said, "Ah, so you feel fear indeed, young Human, and in one so young. No Manipular has known the equal of what you have learned just now. Maybe that is the fear that you felt when we learned that it spoke to us."

Chris struggled to find his words. "It… it _spoke_ to you?"

"The prisoner within."

"What did it say?"

The Didact stared at him. For a second, Chris wondered if the program stalled, but then a thunder broke out.

_Sleep has been long. I tire of this cage._ _Prepare._

The voice sounded like one person, yet a chorus of a thousand at the same time. It was neither male nor female, neither high nor low. It was a vibration… a wave… it… simply _was. _The Captain felt immense dread hearing these words. He couldn't explain it, but just listening to them activated every primal fear reaction that he could think of. His brain was a fireworks display. Images flashed in front of him. Fire, brimstone, hell, aliens that he had never seen before, teeth, and pinpricks of light shining in the blackness. But these were not stars. These did not bring him comfort. Instead, he felt like a child. He wanted his mother.

It was like hearing the language of angels.

His head was splitting apart. He hoped that he would simply die on the spot. But the universe was not so kind.

When he regained his speech, he simply looked at the Didact, struggling to say something. Anything.

"You were not prepared." The Didact said in disappointment.

"What does it _want_?" the Captain asked. "Huh? The _FUCK _does it want?!"

"Think." The Forerunner general urged. "What does any prisoner desire?"

"Freedom." The young man said. "Oh Christ. It wants _out!_" He frantically searched for words. "Why didn't the Forerunners do anything about this? What was stopping you from making sure he didn't get out?"

"Humanity." The Didact simply said. "Your forefathers beat us back to the point of near-defeat and destroyed much of our Fleet. Then the Flood…"

Chris couldn't mentally even begin to process this. But he did say, "The Flood? This thing isn't Flood?"

The Didact shook his head. It only deepened the Human's fright. "So… what do you expect _us_ to do about it?"

"Find a way. If the prisoner finds a way to break free… we don't know what will happen. That's all the information I have."

"NO! That's BULLSHIT! You have more info than you are letting on! TELL ME!"

"It isn't time!" The Didact's program said, getting louder.

"FUCK YOU! THIS THING'S GOING TO DO UNTOLD DAMAGE! TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW!"

The Didact drew himself up to full height. "YOU INSULANT BRAT! YOU SMALL, PATHETIC HUMAN WORM!" His armor wrapped around him, and a spear of hard light appeared in his hand, ready to smite the man. " I GIVE YOU MY MEMORIES AND YOU REPAY ME THIS WAY?!" His eyes flared, his teeth bared, and his voice streaming like a hurricane. It was like angering a god. "YOUR KIND KNOWS NO RESPECT!" After seeing that he put fear enough into the Human, the Didact calmed and the armor melted away. "That… was part of the fury we showered on the Humans of years old. Take care not to summon it again, _Human_."

Chris didn't know what to say. "I… apologize."

"And you _will_ apologize a thousand times over before this is through. I have given you knowledge. Go. Learn from this. When it is time… you will learn one last piece of knowledge."

Chris didn't argue. Why bother? Though he did ask one question: "Sir, where did your people go? After you fired the Halos? Where did the Forerunners go?"

The Didact sadly said, "I was not the one who lit the rings. It sadly is a question that I myself will never know the answer to. So here I remain a fragment of my true self. Away with you! You have brought sorrow on this old Promethean. Aya!

Chris woke up screaming.

* * *

It was not easy to bring the Captain under control. The usual sedative drugs didn't take effect right away. Reyes and Konstantinos held him down. Sally ran down the hallway from the cabin.

"_HOLD HIM DOWN! HOLD HIM DOWN NOW!_" she screamed. She rounded the corner and skidded to a halt. Sonic sat in the corner with Bunnie and Rouge next to him. The trio were totally scared out of their minds by the man, who sounded like a demon trying to get loose.

Konstantinos pushed a syringe of sedative fluid into the Captain's arm. "This should calm him down. Not enough to knock him out."

"Please don't hurt him, Alex!" Sally ordered. "Christopher! STOP!"

But he didn't stop. He screamed in a language of gibberish, but it almost sounded as if it had structure to it. She looked around at the others. John stood with his helmet off, face impassive. He was whispering something to Cortana.

Sally pulled out NICOLE. "What can you see?"

"_His head is on fire! Brain scans are going nuts! The visual cortex is white hot! Sedatives are working._"

"What on Mobius are you seeing, Captain?" Sally whispered.

Then he stopped. Abruptly. It was shocking. His eyes opened at once. "Wha… what?"

Reyes let go. "'What' he says…"

"Welcome back, Captain." Konstantinos said. "How was your latest trip in la-la land?"

That's when Chris began to breathe deeply. "It's not a bomb."

"The hell is he talking about?" Konstantions said. "What's not a bomb?"

Chris unclipped himself from the seat and got up. He noticed that sweat covered a lot of his stolen uniform. He took off the uniform jacket and paced around in a T-shirt and uniform pants. The puddles stretched all around him. "The Galaxy Bomb! But, it's not a bomb! It never was a bomb, and the Forerunners never set it to blow!"

"_Wait, it's not_?" NICOLE asked. "_Well, then, what is it?!_"

Chris lowered his voice. "It's a prison. And the prisoner wants out."

There was silence aboard the ship. Nobody said anything. Sally tried to say something, but simply couldn't.

Borne, Jackson and Roan entered the room. "Is it safe to come in now?" the Mobian German Shepard asked. "Sounds like hell itself was breaking loose."

"That just may happen. All of you sit the hell down. This is going to be one weird story.

Chris spent the better part of an hour retelling his experience with the Didact's computer recording, his revisting of the black hole, and most importantly, the Didact telling him about the prisoner.

"It said to prepare." He said at its conclusion.

"Jesus." Roan said.

That was accepted as the reaction of the whole group.

Sonic was the first to answer after a period of silence. "Well, it looks like we have our work cut out for us."

That was an understatement. With their combined strength, they wouldn't even be an iota of the amount needed to meet this thing head-on, and everyone knew it.

"So, what do we do?" the hedgehog asked, who couldn't find anything snappy to say about this.

"I don't know. I don't fucking know." Chris said rubbing his temples. "Why don't you think of something. You always wanted to be the leader." He got up and walked towards the cockpit leaving the group to wonder about just what sort of chances they thought they had, and the mad prophet that led them.

John as in the doorway, slightly blocking his path. "Out of my way, John." The Captain said. The Spartan looked him in the face and saw a man who seemed older than he was. He didn't say a word against it, but nodded and moved. "Thank you." He heard the Captain say though. "Thank you for stopping things before they go worse."

"Sir." His eyes met the Captain's. "Thank her Highness. Not me. She was the one that really looked out for you."

"Regardless. Thanks for the neck massage." He tapped the Chief's shoulder, but met the armor's shield. The Spartan appreciated the gesture though.

The cockpit dim in the slowly approaching daybreak. Chris knocked on the bulkhead. The Mobian rabbit turned around. Hera tried to smile, but couldn't. "I… heard you screaming."

"Yeah." Chris growled, sinking into the copilot seat. "There's an unwritten code in the military that says commanders who show pain in front of their troops are considered weak. Though I defy you to show me anybody who could withstand this."

"How's the pain?" Abigail asked, checking the ship's attitude controls.

"Constant. I feel it all the time now. Sometimes I see something that isn't there, hear something that doesn't exist, and sometimes I swear my breathing just stops."

"I'm sorry, Chris."

"Last thing I want right now is pity, Major. Just give me that." Chris looked out the window. "Where are we?"

"25,000 feet. Somewhere over Germany."

"Germany…?" Chris said, confused. "Why Germany? I thought we were heading to New York."

"We are, Chris. We're taking the Western Corridor."

"The long way?" he smiled. "Jesus, nice plan!"

"It was the blue lady's idea." Hera said smirking.

Cortana's hologram came up as if on demand. "I simply gave her the idea."

"She likes to hear that she's right!" the pilot whispered to the Captain.

Cortana decided to brief the man. "We're about four hours into our flight. Traffic is a bit slow, so we're going to be cruising for about another eight hours. You are now a passenger aboard the _Camilla_, formerly the _Alameda_."

"Had to change the ID signatures so that ONI might not track us so easily."

"Camilla?" Chris asked.

Hera looked hesitant at first. "That was my mother's name."

"I'm sorry. Truly."

Hera shrugged. "I remember her in my own way."

Cortana continued. "Once we get to New York, we're going to be facing plenty of scrutiny. We need to go to ground somehow. Perhaps hide in the underlevels somewhere. Perhaps street level even. I know that some of the subway systems are rather spacious."

"Nah, we're not going to live like rats. A friend of mine has an establishment down here somewhere. Loaded up nice on hardware too."

Cortana raised a holographic eyebrow. "Very well. _That_ could indeed help our plans immensely."

"Then some, sister. Keep us on autopilot and keep monitoring, Major. Cortana, keep me updated with new information."

"Of course, Captain." The AI said.

"No problem!" the major said, getting back down to business.

The young man stood up to leave. Waiting for him in the hallway was Sally. She was visibly determined to speak to him. "What's up?"

"We have to talk."

"Now?"

"Please…" she whispered. "It's important."

He could see she wasn't playing around. The Captain nodded. "Alright. Let's go somewhere quiet."

* * *

She led the way through the lounge. Towards the end of the ship, bunkrooms lined the walls. They stepped inside one of them. Sally closed the door and locked it, making sure nobody was near.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"What's the matter? What's the _matter_?! I can't take it anymore!" she shouted. "I can't take not telling you anymore! I'm going to lose you before I know it!"

He said, "That's not going to happen and you know it."

"Do I?" She said, tears in her eyes. "Do you? You are slowly _dying_ in front of me! Every time you close your eyes I don't know if you're ever going to open them again! I just can't take it anymore!"

His heart softened for her. It always did. When she was sad, he was sad. The young man couldn't stand to see her upset like this. It was something important. It couldn't be anything less.

"Love, what's wrong? Please tell me."

She met his eyes. They were welling with tears and he wiped them away. She was beautiful even when she was sad. "My beautiful Human… My love… I…"

"What?" He held his breath.

"I'm pregnant."


	30. Chapter 30: The Island

Chapter 30: The Island  
June 10th, 3239, 1045 hours  
Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean  
The _Camilla_

The Captain was silent for a long time, locked up in one of the ship's bedrooms. Everyone had waited to see if he would come out with a plan or anything like that, but it was clear that he desired to be alone. Sally was quiet as well, but that was for a different reason. She was upset. Very upset.

Sonic had tried to speak with her, but she didn't want to talk very much. Just before sunrise, she finally talked to him.

"Have you ever had a time when you felt like everything was falling apart?" She had asked.

"You're asking me this now?" Sonic replied. "Yeah, everything's falling apart. Probably has been for a while."

"I should have told him right from the start." She said, looking at the deck. "I should have told him."

"What?" the hedgehog asked confused.

"That I was pregnant."

"Oh." Sonic said, a bit shocked, but he looked at her, looked at the wall, and then fell silent. "How long?" he managed to say.

"About a month… when this whole mess started."

"Is it his?"

She looked at him seriously. "It's sure not yours." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm screwed. We're screwed." She got up and paced around. "And I'm probably going to lose him, am I?"

Sonic didn't answer. For all of his quips, quotes, and cracking jokes that he could make up on the spot, there was not a single thing he could say to his friend. Nothing that she would like to hear anyway. Sonic was scared. Not for Sally, or even for the Human, but because he was becoming aware of how… small he felt at that moment. A war on the horizon that could only be stopped only if they worked together, a corrupt politician that had popular support, and the Prisoner… he didn't know what to do.

"I don't know." Is all he had said. He hugged Sally closely, choosing to be brave in the face of impossible odds. "But we're not going to lose him without a fight."

He had been in here for hours. He had turned off the lights and closed the shutters on the ship's window. Sunlight came through only in the barest glints. Otherwise, this room was more than dark. Chris paced around the bed in this room. He noted the size of the room, and shook his head in amazement. Civilians always had the best sleeping spaces.

He was reminded of the palace beds for some reason. He remembered that they were the softest things he had ever slept on. Softer even than his own bed back at home. They were meant for kings, not soldiers. He didn't feel comfortable lying down on something that was comfortable.

_So, the knife twists deeper_.

He groaned and turned, expecting Kapplin's skeleton back to bother him. Instead, he was shocked to see that it was less than that – a narrow cloud of ether with two glowing eyes. An uncomfortable low humming filled his ears. He couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Buzz off, Greg." Chris said steadying himself.

_Telling me to leave? Why did you call me here then?_

"Oh believe me, I never wanted to be in the same room as you when you were alive, let alone dead."

A spike of pain shot through him. His head pounded.

_Watch it, _boot_. Stress and anger are real killers. _

He ignored the specter. Perhaps if he just focused his thoughts, maybe the ghost would just… fade.

_Alright, happy thoughts. Happy thought. Unicorns and rainbows_…

The Captain turned. Kapplin was gone. The room returned to its calm silence. He made a slight laugh

"Are you OK?" a soft voice called.

Chris bolted up, shocked by the sudden sound. He turned to the door and saw a pair of twinkling eyes in the near darkness, like two bright stars outshining all the others. His heart slowed and he smiled.

"I'm better now. Can you sit down?"

"You look like you need a friend." Sally made her way around the room. "How's the…" She made the slightest point to her head. "How are…"

"Do you even need to ask anymore?" That was a darker answer than he expected to give, but no less true to him.

She sat down next to him and leaned on his shoulder. "We're almost done. We can fix you."

"Can you?" he asked.

"We _will_ fix you." She said. "We just have to. You're stronger than this. You can beat it."

"As long as you're here, it'll help."

"Don't you know Human? I'm always in here." She pressed her hand on his heart. "And here." She touched his head.

"What? You're right here." He blinked only once, and she was gone. There was nothing but an empty space next to him.

"Sally?" he called. There was nothing but an empty room. His eyes darted around hoping, just hoping that she was playing a trick on him. He paced around the room. "Sally, please come out. Don't do this to me!"

His heart started racing again. She wasn't real! She wasn't there! Another… thing spawned from his mind. This is what it came to. He saw just how crazy he had become. He couldn't take it any longer and fell down on the bed. He heard a laugh somewhere deep within his mind. Some sick and twisted specter, maybe Greg, maybe Benedict, maybe even the Didact's image chuckled at his lowness. Chris did the only thing that seemed right to him. He smiled widely and laughed along with them.

* * *

"Can I ask you something?" Sonic asked Sally while they walked through the _Camilla'_s hallways.

"Of course." She responded.

"If…" he began to say. He tapped the wall next to him searching for the question. "If the _Indomitable_ never came to Mobius… and if you never met the Captain… would things have been different between us?"

She looked at him. "You're asking me this now?"

"Everything is… so messed up lately that I need to set the record straight, you know?"

Sally sighed. "Of course things would have been different. A lot of things would be different. We wouldn't be here now. We wouldn't have to worry about monsters or Forerunners or anything. We could have been together, of course… but that's not the way things happened."

"I wanted it to be different so much."

"If it's any consolation, there's certainly a universe where we did fall in love… and are spending our lives together."

"That doesn't make me feel better at all."

"Look at the Primes. There things may have worked out, but they have no idea what's at the heart of their galaxy. If things went differently, we would have no idea what's out there waiting for us."

"I…" Sonic struggled to find the words that he was looking for. He was quiet as the two walked towards the bridge, but then he sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "I… guess you're right. There's so much waiting for us soon, but it won't change the way I feel."

"You're not happy with Amy?"

Sonic leaned on the wall. "I love her so much. But I still love you."

"And believe me, Sonic, I've never stopped loving you either, but you've got to understand something… he needs me more than he'll ever realize. I… I think I'm all he has to hold onto. I think I you know very much what it means to lose the one you love." She gave him a disappointed look. "Amy told me what you tried to do when you thought I was dead, you know."

Sonic's face showed guilt. It was non-characteristic, and jarring for her to see. "That was years ago."

"Doesn't change that you tried to do it. Did you think that putting a gun to your head would solve anything?"

"I thought I had no reason to live. You were everything to me."

"And Amy saved you."

"She did." Sonic said looking at the floor; hands in his pockets. "She changed everything."

Sally kept her eyes looking straight at him though. "Would you wish that on him? I'm everything he has. If I were to leave, or if I were taken… can you imagine what would happen to him? What happened to you will be nothing compared what will happen to him."

Sonic's mouth got dry. He knew that what Chris was going through was bad… but he couldn't guess what it getting even _worse_ would look like. Sonic knew that he would never want to trade spaces with the Human under no circumstances. He closed his eyes in realization. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I know. Go get comfortable. I'm going to check on our friend."

* * *

"This is mad shit, Sarge." Ryan said as he sat on what he assumed was once a couch. He looked around the cavernous space that was the Freedom Fighter's old headquarters. "Can you imagine that this was where the resistance movement was centered?"

Johnson took a drag on his cigar and paced patiently, glancing carefully towards the ladder. "Percy, I've seen my fair share of resistance movements, and I've seen places more badass than this."

Bindo huffed in amusement. Like Johnson, he too was pacing, but his mind was sharp, constantly meditating on what was going to happen next. Even though he was far from his home and no longer felt the Force, he could still be mindful of his surroundings and his situation. That being said, he was more than willing to stick it to the others.

"Boys, I've been cruising around smuggling supplies and fighting bush wars since you were both probably in diapers. I think I've seen more planets and struggles than the whole lot of you. I've seen palaces that were devoted to nothing but fighting bad governments. The Mobians are truly fortunate people for this to be the worst that they've ever seen."

"You should have seen Earth when it was under siege in…" Johnson stopped for a second and rolled his cigar, eyes distant. "700 years ago." He said the words with effort, but steadied himself, becoming the staunch badass again. "The entire planet was on fire, people dying left and right with our numbers whittled down."

Jolee had an answer to this. "I've seen this so many times you wouldn't even believe it. How many wars are fought every day? How many of the stars out there have people you've never seen before? You even want to guess how many wars are happening right at this second?"

"A lot I bet. Was Humanity on its last legs for you?" Johnson asked with intent.

Jolee paused. After a few seconds, he said, "No. There was never any danger of Humans being wiped out. I can't imagine it. Comes with being a galaxy-spanning empire."

Ryan spoke up. "Well, what happens when the war between Mobius and Earth finally happens? What happens then? Closing that gate won't do anything!" He got up and paced around the Freedom Fighters' HQ. "The Mobians won't be able to win. Look, I'm sorry guys, but that's a fact."

None of the men said anything. Ryan was right, and had made a strong point – something that they didn't like to hear. Humans had anti-matter warheads, starships, legions of troopers, and Chaos Emeralds to boot. Mobians didn't have much in that respect. That made stopping this war a lot more important to them.

"So, what do we do then?" Ryan asked.

"We make our way back to the castle." Johnson said, chomping on his cigar. "Then we tell everyone we can. Marshall's attack dogs won't be able to stop us if we say enough."

"How do you know there ain't any Spartans up there waiting for us? For all we know, they watched us spy on their ship." Percy said.

"I don't. We can either stay here, and the world will be doomed, but we'll be happy in this little bunker with the couch and everything, or we can be men and try."

"Hell I'm in." Jolee said. "Been a while since this old man had a good run. Might even be fun."

"I think the definition of 'fun' might be different across universes." Ryan said as he cracked his neck. "This is not going to be fun."

"Not with that attitude it isn't, sonny!" Jolee growled. "Now make like a wookiee and climb!"

Ryan, Johnson and Bindo started climbing up the ladder, leaving the safety of the underground HQ. It was a quick and silent climb. Ryan tilted the protective cover of the ladder's top up to do a quick search around. The area seemed to be clear. However, this was not the time to take chances. Ryan exited the ladder and scanned visually. Once again, he didn't see anything, but there was a tingling sensation at the base of his skull that he just couldn't shake. _Something_ felt off, but his eyes were telling him otherwise – that there was nothing to worry about.

What _he_ was worrying about was that his eyes could be wrong.

"OK, everyone up." He announced. "We should be able to find our way back to the castle."

Johnson and Jolee followed. Once out of the secret ladder, and with the fake tree-stump cover down over it, an unnatural silence befell the group. No birds sung, no wind blew. They felt very much alone. "Move." Johnson said. "I don't like this.

* * *

The sky was free of clouds, leaving the ocean to extend in all direction for miles. The sun was up now and painting the sky with a light blue sheen while a glittering reflection was splayed across the waves. The _Camilla _had to be getting close to the Western coast of North America by this point. Major Abigail Hera kept on watching the space ahead of her, barely making out the engine exhaust of the next ship a half mile in front of her. The autopilot made sure that they wouldn't get into any flight trouble on the flight path.

Flying over the ocean was like flying in space. It got exciting for the first few hours, but then you realized that once you saw the initial blackness with stars, there really wasn't anything particularly exciting besides a planet, moon, nebulae that were pretty much empty space once you got inside them, or an asteroid, which if you were able to make out clearly, it was a bad sign anyway.

Hera had seen her fair share of space in the last fifteen years. She had most definitely seen enough ocean for the last eight or so hours. There was an interesting artificial island every now and again and most interesting of all were circular floating cities that voyaged across the oceans. She was amazed by the technology to make them do so. Her home Mobius didn't have that technology. She wondered why it was so hard for her people to just extend the hand of peace and work with the Humans aboard the _Prometheus_. Maybe, just maybe, her people could have had floating cities like the ones in the oceans here. Maybe they could have had these wonderful ships. Maybe everybody she loved like her mother and father would still be alive.

She sighed, there was really no point wallowing in the past. The only way was to move forward. To dwell was to be depressed, and she had gone through that phase already. Something caught her eye in the distance and her ears perked. Hera squinted to see what was out in the distance. It was hazy at first, but eventually it was revealed to be a giant tower. A building was emerging out of the air. She smiled when she saw this. There was only one good reason why she would start to see buildings. The Major hit the intercom and said, "All hands report to the bridge! Civilization ho!"

Everyone gathered around an available window getting a look outside. It was indeed a city that was coming up. Buildings upon buildings were soon visible in the distance. Many different types and shapes rose into the sky – a few of them poking through the clouds. On the water was a single solitary figure that seemed so out of place against the metropolis: a statue of a woman stood on a small speck of land, comparatively tiny against the city, but a shrine stretched out around her. It was clear she was important, but with that lady, they knew where they were beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"Welcome to New York City everyone – center of the universe."

Hera looked around the room for the one person who would enjoy seeing their home city again. Hera's smile straightened out. "Where's the Captain?"

* * *

_Was it all a fake? Was it a hallucination? What's real? What's imagined? _

Chris lay face up on the bed, eyes pried wide open staring at the ceiling. His brain was strained, like an inept violinist was dragging a bow over the instrument, screeching and scratching and producing this horrible noise.

_Did you hear what they said? You're Home_.

"Home?"

_Start spreading the news…_

"Stop this. Now!"

_I'm leaving today…!_

"Don't do this to me now! Shut up! _Shut up_!" He was fighting not to scream.

Who was he talking to? Who was listening?

_It's been so long, Christopher. But finally, you're back home with me_.

He knew that voice, but the mere sound of it brought about a feeling of dread that didn't even feel humanly possible.

"Michelle?"

He listed himself up. Standing in front of the window was a woman – no, a shadow of a woman. A shade of a person he used to know. Her long brown hair fell to shoulder length, and the distant twinkle of her eyes called back to him a memory of so long ago – a loved one's touch. One that he would never wish to forget. The dead should stay dead, but this was too far. This hurt too much.

"Just leave me alone!"

_But why?_ She asked. _I thought you would have been glad to see me! This is probably the last time we'll be together before you have to leave! Please, Christopher, don't let our last night together be a lonely one._

"Michelle, this is important. They need me. The transport leaves tomorrow morning and I need some sleep." The outside of his apartment window was dim. The sun was starting to sink below the skyline and the artificial starshine of thousands of buildings started to take over the natural.

"Please understand! You're going to be gone! Do you get it? I won't see you, I won't hear you!"

"I can call. I can talk to you from there."

"No! Fuck that! Talk to me now! Be with me now! If you're going… I want to be with you just one more night!"

He couldn't say anything to dissuade her. She was right. He didn't want to be alone, and if there was going to be one more moment, he would spend all night with her and count the stars from the roof if need be. He would spend every last moment that he could with her.

Chris walked over to Michelle. She held out her hand. "Please, sweetheart." She said. "Take my hand."

"Only if you take mine." He smiled, as did she. She pulled him in and hugged him tightly. She started to cry into his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you!"

"I'll miss you more."

"I don't want to live my life waiting! I don't want to wait for the day they come and tell me…! That they…!" She sniffed.

"That won't happen." He said.

"Please don't leave me alone! Please come back!"

He kissed her hair. "I will come back. Even if I have to walk."

She laughed once. "If we can't be together… I don't see the point of living. Christopher, I lo-"

His hearing went fuzzy. A ringing noise filled the world. He was unsure of what happened. He looked at Michelle. She blinked a few times, and she tried to say something. She looked dizzy.

"Michelle?"

She grabbed onto his shoulder. Something was wrong. He looked at her hands. They were smeared. Something red.

Blood.

"Michelle?!"

She stumbled, and he caught her. She tried to hold his face, but she seemed to miss. She was saying something, but he couldn't hear it. Tears streamed down her face. "Don't…"

"This is wrong! This IS WRONG!" He cried to the heavens.

"Don't… leave…" She whispered, barely louder than a whisper. Her head sunk back, and her hands fell from his face, leaving bloody trails on his skin. She lay on the carpet, blood staining the fibers and slowly moving onto the hardwood.

He screamed in anger. He knocked picture frames, bottles, and books off of the countertops and smashed the mirror.

"Well, she said it." Another voice he knew.

_Oh please, Christ no. Christ in Heaven, no!_

He turned around so slowly that it felt like the air was molasses. He dreaded to see who was waiting for him, but he felt like he already knew the answer. Standing in an open doorway holding a smoking pistol was Sally. Right away though he could tell this was incredibly _wrong_. She stood still bleeding from the wound in her chest, which seemed to be perpetually flowing, her eyes were nothing but empty pits that masqueraded as beautiful blue eyes; he could see that there was nothing within them. What terrified him was the smile that she had. It was not a smile – not a smile that a Mobian… no, that any _person_ should be able to make. It seemed stretched past the point that seemed physically possible. She looked more like the Cheshire Cat than Sally Acorn.

"She said she would rather die than leave you!" Sally said. "You know that it had to happen, right? You were always meant to be with me."

"She didn't have to die!"

The Cheshire smile faded slightly, but still kept its surreal appearance. "Sometimes, my sweet, they _all_ have to die. Sacrifices have to be made to make it all work out in the end." She walked closer to him, dripping her blood onto the carpet, and eventually it meshed with Michelle's blood. She sat on the bed and threw the gun on the pillows. "Come sit down, my Human. Let's watch the sunset."

Chris didn't say anything, fixated on Michelle, who was sprawled with eyes glaring up at the ceiling. The demon Sally noticed his gaze. "You know she really killed herself, right?"

"What are you saying? I saw…" then he saw that Michelle was gripping a pistol tightly in her hand with a shell laying close to her body. The same pistol he could have sworn that Sally was holding a second ago. But the area of the bed that he could have sworn the gun was on was empty.

"She… killed herself."

Demon Sally nodded with a wide smile. Too many teeth. Way too many teeth. "Mmhmm!" She hummed with a very misplaced sense of joy. "The day that she decided to stick with that damned drunk was the day she killed herself. She could have saved herself, but she had to be a fool."

"A fool." Chris said under his breath.

"An idiot." Sally whispered.

"An idiot." Chris repeated.

"Is that why you killed her?"

"What?" was all Chris could make out before glaring down into his hBeeands to see a bloody smoking gun in his hand. He was too scared to drop the gun, but stare at Michelle's corpse. "I… I killed her?"

"Maybe not with the gun, but just as well with your mind."

"I don't understand."

"Of course not, silly!" Sally smiled toothily. He couldn't ever think of a time when Sally had called him 'silly'. "That's because you're insane! She was dead to you the day you walked away from her door! She was a burden on your mind and to your heart. So 'bang'," Sally said pointing out with her finger-pistol. The sound of a gunshot filled the room which made Chris flinch. A fist hit him, and he stumbled as if shot. He reached for his heart, but felt no blood or bullet wound. "You killed her."

She splayed herself on the bed. "And now all of your guilt and your sadness is building up. Don't you wish that there was a way to end it?"

The gun was back in his hand.

"One pull, and all of your troubles will disappear. Then you and I will be together forever!"

Chris looked at the pistol in his hand and fiddled with the safety and checked the chamber. There was indeed one bullet in there. Chris absentmindedly wondered if the gun was actually real, of if this was yet another trick.

"You know…" he started. "I may be crazy." But he threw the gun on the floor. "But I'm not stupid. And you're not real. You and Greg go back to that dark hole where you came from."

Sally's eyes then began to weep. They were not tears, but blood. She got to her feet and walked slowly to Chris, not making a sound. She kissed him. It was the most disgusting thing he had tasted.

"You know…" she said when she was done, "If we're not real, how come you keep talking to us?"

Chris blinked, and she was gone. The room was dark and empty again with the sunlight poking through the window. Chris checked his face, but there was no blood. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was all fake. He wondered why he was relieved. He knew it was a hallucination all along. Right?

He gazed at the floor and gave a laugh. The gun was still there. Of everything, the only real thing was the gun.

It was a cruel joke, and he laughed.

There was a knock on the door. He kicked the gun under the bed, thinking that the last thing he wanted was attention like this. He scratched his chin, admiring the new stubble.

"Who's there?" he asked.

"It's me." A voice said.

"Who's 'me'?" the Captain asked, cautiously looking back where he kicked the gun. The voice sounded familiar, but he needed to place the face.

"Please let me in, Human. I just want to see you."

The voice sounded kind. He wanted to please the voice. Chris got to the door and pulled it open. Sally was standing in the doorway with a smile. Her eyes though were full of worry. Chris smiled. The voice had been hers. Though a pang of sadness went through him. He should have known that.

"Sal."

"How are you?"

"Feels like the time I had some bad shellfish." He was glad to see he hadn't forgotten his sense of humor.

"We're home, you know."

"Home? Mobius?"

"No. Your home – New York."

"Right. Right. I knew that."

"Did you? Your mind isn't falling apart?" She demanded to know this.

"Of course." Chris lied through his teeth. "I looked out the window on the way here."

Sally decided to believe this and asked him if he wanted to come up to the front of the ship to see the city he was born in. Chris nodded and got up to leave, stepping on ginger feet out of this room. Every step felt like a mile to him. Shadows appeared on the walls that disappeared when he stopped to look. Sally couldn't find anything else to say about this. She was concerned for the troubled young man, but it was clear that this problem was far beyond her. A small humming noise appeared in his hearing. It was like a bomb went off and his hearing went out, but it was always there, not going away. All the while, the sharp piercing pain in his head was almost debilitating. Only his training and sheer willpower kept it down.

The walk to the _Camilla_'s bridge only lasted a few minutes. Allen and Borne met them halfway and asked if the Captain was OK. Chris waved them off silently, saying that he was fine. Just after this, he stumbled, and Sally caught him. She groaned as she supported a man with nearly twice the mass of her. Together, they all made their way towards the bridge. Eventually, Chris got some of his strength back and insisted that he was walking on his own. The group of people entered the bridge. The Captain was greeted with the image of the vista of his home city.

The image didn't even register for a moment in his mind. The shock that he forgot about the city he was born in was completely lost to him. The only thing he saw was the towers, hundreds of them stretching into the sky. They had many different shapes, colors, and sizes. From this high up, only the tallest of the stratoscrapers could reach them.

The only thing he could saw was, "Wow."

"Yeah, it's something, isn't it?" Hera said, completely enthralled by the city.

The city shimmered in the sunlight as if it was a desert illusion. The core of the city was clustered on Manhattan Island and stretched out upstate. Hundreds of years ago, the city had been divided into 'boroughs' that were part of the city yet retained their own identities. Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Staten Island; these were now just large neighborhoods that were part of this sprawling urban center. The city was one of the most iconic on Earth, and it was clear by the looks on everyone's face that its charm didn't fail to deliver. Off in the distance, one could make out an orbital elevator stretching out towards the sky in the Atlantic Ocean. Even cruising at hundreds of miles per hour, it took quite some time to reach the outer edges of the city itself.

Hera was able to tear her eyes away from the vista. "I'm, uh… going to try to get us slotted into midtown. We can try to find an area to land the _Camilla_."

"We weren't followed, were we?" Sally asked, uncertain about everything.

"There's always the possibility." The Major admitted. "Though with a scrubbed ID tag, that makes them tracking us far more difficult. Ever try finding one car out of a million after you have the plates changed?"

"Point taken." Sally said. "Not impossible, but not easy either.

NICOLE appeared with a smile on her face. "How about we multiply those odds a little." She placed her right index finger to her temple and said, "Now some unlucky fool out here has the identity of the _Alameda_, transmitting its frequency on the public airwaves."

Sally and Hera both arched an eyebrow. "Is that legal?" the Princess asked.

NICOLE shrugged. "Probably not."

"Did you have to do that?" Hera asked.

"It will certainly buy us time. Congratulations Major – the parking lot has multiplied by a million now."

If NICOLE was telling the truth about what she had just done, then the _Alameda_'s identity could have just been assigned to _any large cargo vessel on Earth_. Chris had to smile imagining an ONI signal operative tearing his hair out in absolute anger.

The deck shifted. Hera was merging out of the main Skyway into a lower city route. The speed of the _Camilla_ dropped significantly to comply with city flying. The routes through New York were programmed through a collection of "Dumb" AIs known as the 'Superintendant Council' that handled the computerized aspects of the city's infrastructure. There were five AIs that served on the Council – Tabitha, Clarice, Fermi, Losanto, and Qualia. Each of them controlled a different part of the city's electronic infrastructure. Fermi was considered the 'Travel Minister' within the Council. He also had a… unique… personality.

Within official meetings regarding the AI Council, Fermi kept his head. Outside of the meetings however, Fermi was a clown. He chose to take the avatar of a person obsessed with an obscure genre of music called 'disco'. In his public service announcements involving new road rulings and safety tips, he always chose to wear a hard-hat over a ridiculous-looking afro. Kids loved him, making art to put up at schools. Adults just thought he was plain weird.

Regardless of what people thought, Fermi was the AI in control of all of the traffic systems, and he did his job well. Hera was following all of the instructions that he had written himself to optimize traffic. In terms of aircraft, no 'physical' roads existed. All of them virtually existed though in computer overlays. Any ship that was equipped with a Heads Up Display, which was essentially all of them, would see the lanes. Right now, Hera let the autopilot glide on these 'sky roads'.

"Do we have any place to land?" Sally asked.

"I'll find us a spot. Same deal as in Tokyo. I'll work out an official reason as to why we're here."

The _Camilla_ coasted through a tunnel in one of the large skyscrapers of the city. NICOLE spoke to Cortana and tried to determine a place for them to land. Both AIs sorted through thousands of potential landing sites, eventually settling the ship down towards the ground.

"Are you suggesting we land in the slums?" NICOLE tried to clarify.

"That's exactly what we should do. We should also leave the doors unlocked, if you catch my drift."

"I understand. We don't need this ship anymore."

It was minutes before the landing somewhere in the lower levels of Manhattan. Everyone on the ship was advised to get all of the equipment that they could carry.

* * *

Konstantinos and Reyes were in the main lounge of the _Camilla_ packing up their ammunition and weapons into their rucksacks.

"Figures. Every time we get on a ship, we have to get off." Alex sighed.

"Been a lot of running around since things went south. All because of those God damned Emeralds." Reyes replied.

"How could we have known what was going to happen when we grabbed those things? Huh? We were only doing our jobs, and now someone wants to put us up against the wall! It's bullshit!"

"This is _not_ what I signed up for." Reyes said slowly looking his friend in the eye.

"Examine and Adapt, Reyes." Alex said disassembling his pistol. "We're going to have to forego Termination on this one."

"We're dead men. I don't think we can run forever."

"Listen to yourself!" Konstantinos said grabbing a datapad from one of the drawers in the lounge. He quickly turned it over in his hand and tested it out before shrugging and putting it in his sack. "You're starting to sound like the Captain."

"That was uncalled for."

"I may not like it, but it's true!"

Before they were done, they heard the familiar sounds of metal on metal. John rounded the corner and stopped when he saw them.

"Actually," Konstantinos said, "I think we have a new problem."

* * *

The lower levels of Manhattan were less travelled by the aircraft of the upper levels, but it was by no means uninhabited. Plenty of road traffic was on the ground with cars streaking up and down the avenues. Clouds of pedestrians gathered on the sidewalks down below. Hera was impressed with all of it. In her travels, she had seen many cities all over different universes. How many versions of this planet had she seen? She lost count for almost twenty years, but she was always impressed by what she saw.

Cortana was doing the majority of the flying right now. She was slowly guiding the _Camilla_ into the lower airspeed regions of the city. The closer to the ground one was, the slower one needed to travel as ships were merging in with aircars. Hera knew that lower speeds meant that the ship's belly engines needed to be used, which used more fuel. However, it wasn't as if they would be holding onto the _Camilla_ for much longer.

Typically in these regions, there were much cheaper landing pads than in the upper parts of the city. These landing pads were cheaper, true, but they were also much less secure than other areas in the city. Pads in the lower area of the city had much higher reports of theft, vandalism, and outright destruction of ships. If you were willing to chip in a bit more for the better treatment in the upper levels, you were far more likely to actually find your ship waiting for you when you got back.

"All hands get ready to haul your butts off this tub." Hera said hitting the COM. "Coming in for a landing, for the last time."

The _Camilla_ coasted over a double level highway somewhere over 84th Street. The ship diverted away from traffic by taking a gentle right into a ship landing structure. The automated computer system picked out an empty spot for the _Camilla_ to land, right next to a rusted iron Parrot BD6 Hauler. Compared to the _Camilla_, that rust bucket looked like it should be taking a long walk to the compactor. Hera wasn't even sure how that thing was even capable of flight any more. The Major tapped the thrusters on the bottom of the ship to gently put her down on the metal pad. A few more seconds of waiting, and the ship set down on the ground, bouncing on its tires. Hera killed the engine and laid back in her chair, doing a post-flight check on the ship's systems. Something of a reflex rather than a necessity at this point.

"Excellent flying, Cortana."

"_Excellent landing, Major_."

Abigail made sure to grab Cortana's data chip from the computer bank and held it gingerly. She would bring it back to John as quick and gingerly as she could. In her current state, Cortana could not talk or interface with anybody. She could only do that with an interface.

Before she could get up, John himself rounded the corner, helmet under his arm, with Reyes and Konstantinos at either side. Compared to them, he was a giant.

"Guys, what's up?"

"There's an obvious problem, Major." Konstantinos said. "What do we do with the Lieutenant?"

She saw the problem right away. There might be millions of people of different types in the city, but a seven foot tall heavily armored green cyborg would stand out, and would stand out _hard_. The MJOLNIR armor would have to go, unless someone else had a better idea.

"Reyes and Konstantinos are right." John said. "I walk off this ship; we get spotted within ten minutes."

"Then we leave the armor." Hera decided. The Lieutenant shook his head. "That's not an option. If anybody else but a Spartan puts this on, they'll be hurt, or worse."

Hera placed her hands on her head and spun around in the pilot's chair, thinking about what to do. "OK. OK, let me think. Let me think. John, stay on the ship for a few minutes. Let a couple of us go out there and look around. When we give you the go-ahead, you can come out." She tapped the COMs. "Jackson, Roan, Borne! Get out there and look around. Keep in contact, and take some peashooters with you. I don't like this neighborhood."

She heard footsteps from further behind her, meaning that the three were getting ready to leave.

* * *

Jackson slipped her Norton .38 into her hip holster. She was partial to Mobian-made hardware to keep her safe. True, Human stuff had some punch, but bias was a bitch. Roan likewise slipped his 1911 into his holster, and Borne equipped his custom Misriah piece on an upper thigh holster.

Borne assumed command. He had the most combat experience of a lot of them. While Jackson and Roan were good at infiltration and data collection, Borne was unparalleled in this group. Being an ODST certainly helped matters. Borne gave them simple orders, 'Stay close to me, fire if fire upon'. He keyed open the doorway that led out of the ship. A brief alarm sounded. It must have been a standard airlock cycling warning. Slowly, the door fell away, turning into a staircase touching down to the floor of the landing bay. Borne descended first, making sure his short-sleeved shirt covered as much of his holster as it could. Legally speaking, weapons weren't uncommon around these parts of the lower city, but people were still generally uncomfortable when people walked around openly carrying firearms.

Roan and Jackson brought up the rear, looking alert, but still with their guns holstered. The bay that they walked into was dark, but had a few high-powered lights that were attached to the ceiling. A few advertisements covered the walls. Among it all, a large capital 'G' was painted on the wall. Roan pointed to it. "Remember where we parked, everyone."

Borne chuckled with a smile. Jackson remained stonefaced, though she huffed in amusement.

The landing area seemed to be empty with the exception of a few robots floating through the air. These were most likely local establishment security bots. They were a surprisingly more expensive to see around here. Standard video cameras would have been more common here. The thought was on everyone's mind, but Cortana's voice piped through their earpieces.

"_You don't have to worry about those. This security system is pretty much only for this establishment. I doubt ONI would be highjacking any of these drones._"

That put the group at ease. They walked past a large General Motors Aerospace Caterpiller-2 hauler that sported an attractive looking one and a half meter dent on the hull and what they were sure were bullet craters. Borne tapped his earpiece. "Seems pretty docile out here." He reported. "I think we're good to move."

"_I hear that._" Hera said. "_We still have the Lieutenant to worry about_."

Borne hummed in frustration. "Hmm… give us a second."

It took another five minutes of walking. "Hey, look over there." Jackson said, pointing out a burning barrel, or rather, the man standing next to it. A homeless man by the looks of it was holding his hands close to the flame. The group felt a bit of pity for the man. It seemed like poverty was still something that people would have to deal with, even in a world where resources could come easily. Then Borne pointed out something.

"He has a pretty large overcoat."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Big enough to cover a Spartan?"

"Most of him anyway." Borne said. "Excuse me, sir?"

The homeless man looked up from the fire. "Whatcha want?" His face needed a good shave, and his eyes were sunken. His voice also had a gravelly tone to it, which may have suggested that he was a smoker.

William held up his hands. "I just want to talk, sir."

"Beat it, fuzzy." The man said. "I don't wanna talk to you."

"Sorry. I just wanted to know if you'd be up for a bit of trading."

The homeless man looked at William, sizing him up. He didn't seem like he had seen very many Mobians before, but he clearly didn't care. "What do you have that I would want?" His eyes drifted to the gun on his leg, frowning, but not showing any other emotion. "What are you guys? Cops? Crooks? You don't seem like the rabble around here.

"Neither."

"Alright kid. What do you want? What could I possibly have that interests you?"

"All I want is your overcoat." Borne replied.

The homeless man laughed. He laughed so hard he started coughing. When he was able to calm himself down he chuckled a bit more. "Jeezus Christ! That was a good one. My _overcoat_! Get the hell out of here, kid. Before I call the cops on you."

"No, I'm serious!" The Mobian said, holding his hands up again as a sign of honesty, though he smiled to convey non-aggressiveness. "All I want is the overcoat."

The homeless man sighed after a second of thinking. He pulled a carton of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one up with a flip-open lighter. "Alright, alright! If it'll shut you up! _Jeezus Christ_! And what are you offering?"

Borne smiled again. "You get our ship."

The cigarette fell from the man's mouth. "A… ship?" He was so stunned that he couldn't even reply for a moment.

"We don't need it anymore."

"It's a trick!" He looked around. "Am I on some sort of goddamned reality TV show?!"

"I've got a bunch of crewmembers back on board, my associates included," Borne motioned to the other two who waved, "who need to move. You want the ship, you can have it."

The homeless man stood slack-jawed, absolutely stunned by this ordeal. He just couldn't believe what was happening. "What… wh… what am I gonna do with a ship?"

Jackson shrugged. "I don't know. There has to be a few things in there you can use to get away from this flaming barrel."

When the man caught his breath, he said, "I want to see it."

It only took a few minutes for them to walk back to the _Camilla_. When the homeless man saw the ship, his eyes lit up, and once again, a cigarette fell from his mouth. "Holy… _moley_!"

"Go nuts." Borne said clapping his shoulder. "Just be sure to get the good stuff before some other guys start tearing her apart. Give us five minutes, then she's all yours."

Borne, Jackson, and Roan stepped back inside to the _Camilla_ one more time as the homeless man started laughing loudly and started dancing. "Thank you, Jesus!" He whispered to himself.

* * *

"_We're good._" Borne's voice came over the radio.

"What, seriously?!" Hera said in surprise.

"_Yup! Got a _buyer_ too!_"

Hera smiled widely. "Alright everyone! We're getting out of here! Grab your gear and let's go."

Everyone gathered less than five minutes later. Nobody took time to feel for the ship that got them out of danger. It meant nothing to them – a means to an end. The sooner they ditched a loose end, the better.

Hera checked on everyone else leaving, though she was searching for the Captain. She found him being held up by Sally. He had his arm draped over her shoulder, blinking quickly, but it seemed his mind was still intact for right now.

"How is he?" she asked.

"You don't need to ask anymore." Sally replied. "He's been whispering in some language, or gibberish, or… something."

"No… no…" Chris whispered. His voice sounded distant. "No… that doesn't make sense…"

"What doesn't?" the Major asked.

"No point in talking to him. He hasn't said anything to us in the last twenty minutes. Nothing useful to us anyway."

"Brain activity is spiking again." NICOLE's form said. "Guess where."

"Visual Cortex." Hera determined. "Guess this Didact guy is paying him another visit."

"Or maybe the Librarian." Sally said.

"Well, I'm sure he knows more than any of us right now."

"No… that doesn't make sense…"

"What doesn't?" his mother asked him. "What's wrong?"

"Something… something felt wrong for a second."

She smiled sweetly and kept on chopping up the carrots on the table. The sunlight glinted off her blazing red hair and cast a long sharp shadow across the kitchen counter. She made quick cuts on the vegetables.

_Marie… Marie O'Conner_.

"Come here. Maybe you can help me cut this lettuce. I'm hoping this'll help your father lose a little bit of weight."

"Dad's not overweight!"

"Oh, eating healthy is always important. Jack, can you hand me a bigger knife, please?"

A small bobbing robot wheeled around the corner. It chirped, eager to help out. Jack hovered higher into the air and grabbed one of the kitchen knives in its invisible grip. The knife flipped so that it was facing Marie grip first. She grabbed it with a smile. "Thank you, Jack!"

The robot beeped and floated away.

"You know, Jack's part of the family and all…" Chris said, "But I don't think you should be letting him handle knives or anything like that."

"Christopher, relax. I can trust Jack!"

"I know, but…"

"No buts. Come chop this up, please!" She smiled and held out the knife. For some reason, he was apprehensive to grab it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just felt strange for a second." He let himself smile and took the knife, chopping up the lettuce that his mother laid out for him. He was pretty good at cutting, able to chop up anything in seconds. "You know, I don't know why you didn't let me go to Chicago to work at the restaurant."

"You know how your father feels about that. He wants you to go to finish up your education!"

"So I can be a lawyer like you and him."

"Christopher, there's nothing wrong about being a lawyer."

"But is there anything wrong about working in the restaurant either with my grandfather?"

His mother bit her lip. "No, there's nothing wrong either, but think of how much money you could be making!"

"Yeah, I've thought about it." He said a bit bitterly. His mother looked at him for a second, but sighed and smiled sadly. "Your father and I only want you to know there's always a choice in life. What you want to do is totally up to you." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We may not agree with something that you choose to do, but you will always be our son, and we will love you no matter what."

"What about a Marine?"

That came out of nowhere. Even he wasn't sure what he was saying.

"A Marine?" His mother said looking at him. "Why would you ever want to do that? You know what happens to those people? They fight wars on terrible planets, dying in the soil thousands of lightyears from home. Christopher, those are people's sons and daughters getting killed, and they never go back home! I would be terrified if you did that!"

"But you would still love me?"

"Every day! I would be scared out of my mind for you, but I'll always love you! You're my son! I would do anything for you!" She kissed him on the head. "Chop. Your father will be home soon. I want to see a salad. You up to it?"

"Alright, mom." He said smiling, chopping through the lettuce as if he were a master chef. He allowed himself to smile as he did his work, glancing at his mother from time to time, happy for some reason. As he cut, Chris looked out the window, admiring the late-afternoon sunlight. Up at these heights, the air was a bit thinner than it was down below. This meant that sunlight was much more vibrant that it was down lower in the city. After he chopped up the lettuce, he tried to find dressing. After searching the fridge, he realized they didn't have very much, probably an oversight. He grabbed olive oil and vinegar from underneath his sink and mixed them in the salad, throwing some alien spices on them that smelled good.

"Done?" Marie asked.

"Looks like it. I'm going to throw in some cucumbers."

"We've got some gedde fruit in the fridge."

"What's that?" Chris asked,

"I bought it at the market the other day. Comes from Cirpiro."

Chris opened up the fridge again and looked inside. Right away he noticed the strange lumpy-looking fruit. At first, he wondered if it had gone bad, but looking again, it was the fruit that he was looking for. He thought to what his grandfather said about working with new food – analyze everything.

The gedde fruit had a skin texture that was like very light sandpaper. It likely wasn't good for eating on the outer part. But when Chris cut the fruit open, he saw that the yellow outer color was replaced by a sweet red. The fruit's interior looked like watermelons. Nine seeds were spaced around the interior. They had to be scooped out. The fruit itself tasted like an apple, but with the consistency of a watermelon. It tasted good."

"Verdict?" his mother asked.

"We slice it up in wedges. Those are going to taste nice."

With that, they heard a knock at the door. Marie called, "It's open!"

Jack flew out of the room to greet their new visitor. A second later, a man rounded the corner. Chris smiled. "Hey dad!"

Robert was dressed up in a suit, likely coming home from a court case. In one hand, he carried a briefcase with his initials on it in gold stitching. In his other hand, he carried a datapad, and a hat that he was wearing a moment before. Translucent framed glasses rested over his eyes. Robert was always the traditionalist, even in the way he dressed – retro fashion they called it.

"Hello family!" Robert said with a smile. He kissed his wife. "How was your day?"

"I had to finish the filing of the Petsterin Suit." Marie said. "200 page report."

Robert winced. "Mmm, better than my day. I had to go through yet another day of proceedings."

"The 'Mdolii case?" Marie asked.

"Yes, the 'Mdolii case." Robert repeated.

"That Sangheili neighborhood minister?" Chris asked.

Robert saw his son and smiled. "Hey, kiddo!" He gave him a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm… I'm doing wonderful." Chris responded.

"Keeping up with me in the news logs?"

"Every day."

"Well, then you should know about the issue with the people who have accused Mr. 'Mdolii of embezzlement and blackmailing."

"How's your defense?"

Robert sighed and fixed his glasses. "Well, not the best right now. My team and I have got to get in contact with Mr. 'Mdolii's associates and people who may have had something against him. I think we've got a chance in the long run. But let's leave work at work." The family moved to sit down. Jack had already laid down the silverware.

"Thank you, Jack!" Marie called, to which the robot chirped in appreciation.

Chris took a seat with his parents at the table. The food was all laid out, gentle jazz music played from the holodisc player.

"You both sound like you've got a lot of work to do." Chris noted.

"Yeah, you're right kiddo. We do." Robert said, taking off his jacket and loosening his tie. "But that can wait. Tonight, we all eat together as a family. We spend this time with one another. Live every day with your family like it's your last."

"Here's to that." Marie said raising a glass of red wine.

"Here's to my family." Chris said, smiling.

"And here's to you, son." Robert said.

He opened his eyes.

* * *

"What… what happened?" He asked. He saw that he was walking down some sort of alleyway. He looked around him and saw that they were no longer in the ship. The sky above was showing traces of blue. They were now in the city. "Was I out while walking?"

"You were." Sally said. He looked to his side and saw that she was supporting him on his left. She gave him a weak smile. "You said something every now and again." She noticed something. "Are you crying?"

Chris felt his face, and his fingers came away wet. He was indeed weeping. "Yeah. I guess I am." He wiped them away."

"Did you have another vision?" Rouge asked.

"Yes." Chris replied.

"Was it a bad one?" Sally wondered.

"No." he replied. "A good one."


	31. Chapter 31: Under the Gun

Chapter 31: Under the Gun  
June 10th, 3239, 1423 hours  
Mahnattan, New York City, Earth  
Ground Level

In the depths of New York City's underlevels, it wasn't uncommon to see some of the strangest people to ever walk the earth. In cities like this, one would be likely to find the poor, the low-wage earners, junkies of every stripe, cyborgs that were doing anything for their next upgrade, gene splicers that were addicted to change, aliens that couldn't afford or bare to live among the higher levels of life. Much like the people, the architecture was also as diverse as the people that walked alongside it. Stands of merchants that were trying to sell their wares in hastily built stores, buildings hundreds of years old, dating back to before the super-skyscrapers, and modern buildings that were sleek and spotless. This mix of appearances allowed a group of otherwise unimpressive people to move through the masses of thousands of otherwise unimpressive people.

John shuffled in his overcoat uncomfortably. He had to ensure that he didn't make any unnecessary movements that would tear the coat. It wouldn't have been so bad if he could simply take off his MJOLNIR armor, but that simply was not an option. As for his helmet, it was tucked safely away in one of his comrade's backpacks. Despite the cool that he usually kept, John was slightly uncomfortable by this whole situation. He never imagined that he would have been in this situation. Even though he had been trained to fight against rebels, he never thought that he would have been against the very people who he had been assigned to protect. On top of it all, his powerful hand was grasping the shoulder of a young man who was fighting a battle to stay within the realm of sanity. It was a battle that John believed that the young man was losing.

"How are you feeling?" Sally asked Chris.

"Apart from the minor mental flashes of agony…" He gritted his teeth and shook his head violently. "Fucking fantastic! How's your day been?"

Jackson, who held up the left said, "I'd say you're drawing attention to yourself, but… well… I don't think you're the wildest thing out there." She looked over her shoulder to see a set of street performers flipping in the air while a holographic troupe of dancers attracted people from all over. "You know, this seems like an interesting show."

"When we don't have government agents on our ass, we'll buy a ticket." Allen said.

John tapped his earpiece. "Borne, what's it look like up ahead?"

Approximately 100 feet ahead of the group, William Borne and Alexander Konstantinos served as the forward eyes of the group. The route that they agreed on had to be scouted to ensure that ONI did not have their own eyes planted. The pair had to observe every single car, every single café corner, and every single person that looked the least bit suspicious. Borne tapped his earpiece.

"So far as we know, everything seems to check out." His ear twitched as he noticed something. "Hold position for a moment." He turned to Alex. "Hey, I don't like that guy over at the barista."

Konstantinos narrowed his eyes at the row of buildings and spotted the coffeeshop the Mobian picked out. "Which one? I see two of them."

"The one on the left." Borne said. "Big Cuppa Joy. Middle aged man, longer hair, red sports jacket. You see him?"

Konstantinos did indeed see someone at the café. He seemed to be using a datapad while at his table taking a sip of a coffee. "Yeah. I see him."

"He glances at us every now and again. Just go and make sure he's not sending any secret messages or something. Go look at the menu or something."

Alex nodded and broke away from the group. "Checking out a potential threat. Stand by." He tapped his headset and made his way across the street, letting a motorcycle go before him. Konstantinos was astounded by the amount of people making their way through the crowd. He moved out of the way of a pair of chatting Kig-Yar who barely gave him any attention. Back in Athens, it was unheard of to see all of these people. There must have been a million in eyesight alone. He got to A Cuppa Joy within minutes, but still kept an eye on where Borne was, still up against a streetlight with a pair of dark sunglasses on. He turned his sight to the man in the red jacket who was still tapping on his datapad. Konstantinos made it look like he was browsing the menu. While pretending to be interested in buying a Cuppa Delight Special, Alex made glances to the man and managed to see what he was doing. He was just playing a game of crosses on his pad. Even when he jumped to a different program, it was only a stock market application. Konstantinos also saw a second cup of steaming coffee. He was just waiting for someone, probably his wife, or a friend.

"False alarm. It's all good." He said into his headset.

"Why hello there!" a cheery voice called from his right.

Alex jumped slightly, and saw a server robot hovering at eye level projecting a smiling face into the air.

"Welcome to A Cuppa Joy! Can I take your order? Are you interested in our Cuppa Vanilla Blend?"

"Ah, not really. I was just browsing."

"We do have a sale on our Fruity Blend biscotti plate! Three for the price of two!"

"No, really I'm fine. I was just leaving. I might be passing by here later though!"

"Well alright then!" The robot said while printing out a stub. "This is a coupon for a free small Cuppa Blend! Not redeemable for cash! Hope you consider a sip!"

Alex took the coupon, and licked his lips. He did need a pick me up.

Borne was still watching the streets for any activity when he saw Konstantinos crossing the road with what looked like a to-go cup in his hand.

"The hell is that?" William said pointing to it.

"Well…" he smiled sheepishly. "I had a coupon."

"Really? We're on the verge of interdimensional war and the destruction of all life as we know it, and you get yourself a cup of coffee?"

"It was free!"

"You're unbelievable. Of all the things that would tick me off, this is it. Let's go." He tapped his headset. "We're good. Moving again."

"_Roger_." Cortana responded. "_What was the hold up_?"

"Someone needed to get his java on." Borne said crossing the street at the light. "Well, is it good?"

"You know, it's not bad really! What street was this on?"

"Alright, give me a sip." Borne demanded.

"What? It's my coffee!"

"And you slowed us down. Coffee tax." He took the cup away from Alex and took a drink from up. "Hmm. What was the name of that place? Cuppa Joy? Gotta write that down."

* * *

Similar to how Borne and Konstantinos watched the front roads, Rouge and Reyes were pulling up the rear. This was to make sure that they were not being followed by anybody. Rouge was wearing Reyes' jacket to cover part of her ONI jumpsuit. It was a good tactic, despite the fact that it seemed two sizes too large on her slender frame. Reyes seemed to stand out despite the cacophony of noise and cultural differences around them dressed in his simple T-shirt and cargo pants. His dark arms barely seemed contained by the sleeves. Rouge licked her lips.

"Say, Reyes… um… what was your first name?"

"James. Everyone calls me Jamie." He said in his deep voice.

"Did you… ever consider being a Spartan?"

"Never." He said right off the bat.

"Ever?"

"Never ever." He reaffirmed. "Couldn't stand the idea of them putting things in me, pumping me full of God knows what, and grafting shit to my bones… it freaks me out."

"You're a big guy." The agent said. "You could take it."

"Yeah, but what if I don't want to take it? That shit's permanent."

"But you have nanobot transceivers in your bloodstream." Rouge pointed out.

"Which can be dissolved upon me exiting the service. White blood cells will gobble them up like they're bacteria. Not so easy to do with titanium-grafted bones."

"I've never heard that before. Seems like you can become a god when you're a Spartan."

"Gods, but still people, who let that power go to their heads. People aren't right once they serve in that outfit for a while." Something caught his eye coming from behind a corner a block back. It was a black-painted police car. This disturbed Reyes since most of the regular police cars had white paint. The unit number was also not present on this model either. It set off warning bells. "Hey, I think we have a problem. Get your hood up."

Rouge did not question. She pulled the jacket hood up over her head and folded her ears down, facing away from the road. She gave the impression of looking completely Human to the common observer. "Police car, but completely black, no unit tag."

"_Sounds like an NYPD Special Detectives Unit squad car._" Cortana said. "_This is upsetting. Sounds like ONI may have figured out that we may haven't gone through San Francisco after all._"

"They may have sent alerts to both SF and here in new York." Rouge cautioned. "Getting both at the same time."

"_You think they know all about us_?" Sally asked over the COM.

"_Doubt it._" Cortana replied. "_Judging from the police reports, it's only the barest information to go on. ONI wouldn't want to come down here themselves._"

"Too messy." Rouge confirmed. "Too much paperwork. Best to let the local law enforcement do things on their own work before they visit us in Holding."

"_We'd better be careful then…" _a strained voice said over the COM. It was Chris'. "_Perks of coming from a family of lawyers… you get to know a few cops. Some of them may know my face._"

"It was a mistake to bring him into the open." Reyes said groaning.

"_Hell of a lot better than the backroads. We get spotted there, there's no way we're walking away without slinging some lead._" Borne said from up ahead.

The pair stood still as the police car rolled past their position, pretending to be interested in a news report that was being broadcasted on a public screen. The police car moved past them. Reyes took a quick glance at the officers who were shrouded in the shadow of their cruiser with dark sunglasses covering their face. The one in the driver's seat was pointing out several things to his partner. Thankfully, none of these things seemed to be the group.

"Watch out, cruiser heading your way…" Rouge advised the guys ahead.

"This is ridiculous." Sonic remarked. He was saying what was on everybody's mind at the moment.

"Say, I don't know how easy it will be to conceal our friend here." Jackson said pointing to the Captain.

"Seems my ears still work just fine." Chris said with a snarl that was uncharacteristic.

"Knock it off." Sally said to Jackson.

"Incoming." Hera said, pointing out the police car. "Scatter."

Silently, the group broke apart, folding into the greater crowd of people around them. By the time the detective cruiser passed by them, it would have been virtually impossible to spot a single one of them. They were looking for a group, not a person. With a sigh of relief, everybody continued to move, free of speculation from those around them.

"How far to this gun shop?" Roan asked.

"_Only a couple of blocks from here._" NICOLE said. "_I chose our landing zone because of its proximity._"

Chris wobbled slightly. "Better get me there before I start…" a flash in the crowd made him blink. "…seeing things."

Sally's brow furrowed in concern.

A figure stood out in the crowd. Despite the thousands of people of different races that were on a single street, one made the Captain's mouth dropped. "No, not you."

The man stood not ten feet away from them not saying anything. He smiled sweetly. It would have been nice, had he not been holding his own legs in his hands. In place of his own, steel spiderlike legs touched the ground. A pair of broken glasses covered his nose, and multiple burns and cuts covered his face. Charles Madison.

"Please God no…!" Chris said in a small whisper "Please stay dead!"

Charles said nothing, but held his bloody battered legs, as if in offering to his best friend.

"You didn't deserve it, Chuck."

Charles nodded, but didn't say anything, still smiling and still holding his legs. One of them twitched, and Chris almost gagged. "Why won't you say anything?"

_Corpses can't talk, puke_. Kapplin's voice taunted. _I thought you were smart enough to know that. _

By this time, Sally had developed a way to make things seem less… strange. Whenever Chris entered one of his… 'phases', she would interact herself in the conversations that he was having with himself, responding to his statements, questions, and exclamations. It was odd, no doubt, but in public, much of his insane rambling was lost among the din of the public.

"Why won't you say anything?" He had said.

"Well, I'm trying to say something to you, but if you can't be bothered to listen, then I don't know what this is going to accomplish." She said, keeping up the ruse. The others looked at her uncertainly. Sonic in particular was just as shocked with her responses. Perhaps it wouldn't be too long before Sally herself would just give in and join the Captain in his insanity.

Despite the risk of being discovered by the police, the rest of the trip passed without much difficulty. The only challenge was keeping the Captain under control. It seemed like more and more often he was beginning to become much more comfortable with his apparitions, mentioning them in the background, and even calling out to them as if in greeting. According to NICOLE, this was major cause for concern.

"_I've been watching this man for weeks dealing with this nonsense. He was as disturbed as I was when I first heard about this. Now he's ready to invite them over for tea and biscuits._"

"There's got to be something we can do! Anything!" Sally said in near desperation. "Can we snap him out of it?"

"_I don't think it's going to be that easy anymore._" NICOLE said.

They came to a large red-bricked apartment building. John put the Captain against the wall. "Why not?" he asked.

"_I'm no neurologist, but if this is as bad as I think it is, even if we can remove this information, we're looking at some sort of permanent damage._"

"What's the extent?" Hera asked.

"_I don't know_." NICOLE said after a few seconds of silence.

"Stay here. Let me take a look." John advised the others. He peeked around the side of the apartment. Like before, there were many people walking up and down the street and cars in the road, but unlike before, there was no sign that there was no sign of the police stalking them. Better yet, Ryan's property was right in front of them.

* * *

Ryan Percy ran his own private business here in the underlevels of New York City. He called it many things: Ryan's Gun Shack, Rycorp, among many others, but it was clear that if there was any sort of friend you wanted to make, it was one with an arsenal the size of this man's. Ryan started his business up not long after coming to Earth, and within ten years had set up his first international trading contracts. He sold weapons from the Russians to the Chinese. From Earth to the Sagittarius Arm colonies. One would never think of it looking at this building.

Sally and Chris entered first. She ensured that he could stand well enough on his own before leaving him. She looked around the room. It was almost exactly the same as they saw it five years ago. To the common observer, Ryan's humble store looked almost no different than any other firearms establishment. The walls were covered by many types of projectile weapons which ranged from pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, and rifles. Most were behind protective cases which held the weapon, and a dummy round that showed the caliber of the gun. In the center of the room was a set of antigrav 'shelves' that held three rotating rifles. Sally recognized one of them being of Misriah make. She looked at it turning slowly in the air and noted its aftermarket parts. She and Ryan may have had a few bumps in the road, but she could not deny that he was an excellent businessman and gunsmith.

Borne crossed the door first. "Dear Santa…" he said breathlessly. "I have been a very good boy this year."

Jackson and Roan made similar comments. "We should talk business with these guys."

It would have been suspicious to have everyone enter at once, so some of the group waited outside watching the road while blending into the crowds of people. Inside the store, a few people were looking around at the shelves. Sally spotted a Sangheili eyeing a Human-built plasma rifle. Its mandibles bobbed in curiosity as he looked over its angular design. Sally made a count: about ten people were browsing the store. A security guard wearing a Rycorp shirt stood in the corner watching them. At his hip was a tazer pistol. Dark sunglasses obscured his eyes.

"Stay here, alright?" Sally advised Chris, who said nothing but waved her away. She sighed and walked towards where the front desk. The store was divided into four main rooms. With a fifth acting as the space where employees were checking out the goods for customers. Sally moved past the weapons and made her way to the desk. She spotted a man who was probably about sixty or seventy. She had to remind herself that he may have seemed older, but Humans lived healthier and longer lives than this. He had a military-style buzz cut, a scar near his ear, and an full-length artificial arm that was poking from beneath his ash-grey T-shirt. It seemed to be colored like flesh. He noticed Sally walking up to him and placed his artificial hand on the table. "May I help you?"

Sally broke her vision from the fake arm. "Ah… hello."

The man smiled slightly. "Admiring the hardware?" he suggested. "Don't worry, you're not the first."

"I have a friend with an artificial arm, but I've never seen one like that."

The man shrugged and nodded. "Eyup. Barymeter Bay Skirmish, 3204. Been about 35 years with this thing. Usually there's synthetic flesh that they color to your own, but I chose to keep it like it was. Lets me know that I'm only Human." He held it out to shake her hand. "Maxwell Bing, retired colonel, UNSC Army."

"Sa… Sandra Aaron." Sally said, changing to her false name before she gave herself away."

Colonel Bing looked her over. "What can I find for you? What do you shoot? .38?"

".357 actually, but I'm not here for a gun."

Bing's eyebrow raised. "Well, let's hear it, young lady. What can this old man help you with? No hits though. We stopped doing those two months back." He chuckled.

Sally did as well, lightly, but she glanced back to the door, then glanced at Chris, who was speaking with Allen, probably upset the shop carried neither a 1911 nor a Desert Eagle. He seemed normal for now.

"Friends?" Bing asked.

"Yes." She then cut to the chase. "We're friends of Ryan. We need help."

Bing sighed and smiled. "Young lady, you have no idea how often I hear that one. Care to… uh, explain your relationship?"

Sally believed she could trust nobody, but at this point, there was no choice. "I am Princess Sally Acorn of Knothole. That man standing back there is probably one of Ryan's best friends. He is not well."

Bing looked her over. "Oh… so _you're_ her!" he looked up and down the table, making sure other customers were busy. "He told me about you guys. Mostly just descriptions, no pictures. He said if you ever came through those doors, you're family."

She smiled. "That's very nice of him." She steadied herself and looked at Maxwell. "Can you help us?"

Bing looked at the others. When his eyes fell upon John, he said, "He's not what I think he is, is he?"

Sally nodded.

"It was not smart bringing him into public. Your friends had better get in the back, quick. I know what's been happening lately. Come on." He motioned her to a door behind the counter and went to go get the others.

"I'm just saying, Ryan says he has every single gun that can be conceived." Chris said. "There's not a single damned Desert Eagle that is here."

"There's a couple of IMI pieces here." Borne said looking at the rack."

"It's not the same." Chris said. "Roan, you love your 1911, right?"

"Yeah." Allen responded.

"If you were to lose it, would you not want a replacement?"

"But you still have it, just not here."

"But the _principle_ still fucking stands!"

"Whoa!" Reyes said. "That was uncalled for, sir."

"Why don't you back the hell off, Reyes?" the Captain said through his teeth.

"I respect you sir, but you are seriously cruising for a hook to the head."

"Again? Take your best shot, big man…"

"HEY! Is there a problem?" a man said with an air of authority. The group turned to see who was speaking. A well built man with an artificial arm came marching towards them. Chris, John, Borne, Alex, and Reyes stood a bit straighter. They recognized the stride, the command, and the appearance of the man. He was a soldier, and despite not being in uniform, his very image demanded respect.

"No sir." Chris said solidly. "We were just having a small conversation that got out of hand."

"I'll say! I don't want any altercations in my weapons establishment! Is that clear, son?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Very good. Now stand at ease, Captain."

Horror jolted through the entire group. "I think you must have me-"

"Oh cut the bullshit, I know who you are. Miss 'Aaron' over there," he pointed with his prosthetic, "told me everything. You're in good hands, Marine. Max Bing, UNSC Army retired."

"Thank Christ." Konstantinos said.

"We'd better get you guys behind the desk. Ryan said you were to be given the presidential treatment."

"Only fair." Rouge said. "They've supplied him with enough adrenaline for a lifetime."

Bing smiled and waved them ahead. "Quickly. A lot of cops have been passing by outside."

The group moved past the shining weapons, armor, and personal energy shields.

"Say, what happened to that other guy who used to work here a few years back?" Sonic asked. "Thin dude, wiry hair, seemed shaky?"

"Oh, Vic." Bing shook his head. "The walking definition of 'dumbass'. Two years back, we found out he was doing some splice drugs. Hid it pretty well claiming that he was trying out some new pigmentation surgery or something, but it was after his skin started to turn a nice shade of blue that I booted his ass out. Not a very smart kid. Splicehead, methhead, cokehead, and above all, a dickhead."

"He sold our location out to Robotnik." Sonic said simply.

"Figured that out not long after he was let go. Was not happy about that at all."

"So?"

"I hear he made it as far as Ann Arbor before he dropped off the grid. Probably ended up in a gutter trying to get his next fix. Good riddance."

Colonel Bing moved some customers out of the way, ushering them into the back room. A few curious patrons glanced at them.

"They've seen our faces." John said slowly.

"_They won't think anything of it until a public bulletin goes out with our locations. There's millions of people in the city_. _Remember too: nobody knows we swapped ship IDs_."

"At least, we hope that's the truth. Abigail responded."

When the final person crossed the doorway, Bing told another cashier to take over for him while he attended to business in the back regarding 'special customers'. He then closed the door and locked it tight.

"So!" he turned around with hands on his hips. "You all royally kicked the hornet's nest!"

"What do you mean?" Chris said, absent minded, brow furrowing.

"Everything! The _Jones_, ONI, and Marshall!"

"A lot of that couldn't be helped." Hera said in defense. "And the _Elijah Jones_ was an accident!"

"The news isn't painting it that way. You." He pointed at the Captain. "Everyone wants your head on a pike. How did you even get here undetected?"

"Got lucky." Chris responded sitting down in a revolving chair.

"Luck cannot be coasted on forever." The retired colonel said. "You gamble? Sooner or later you will lose. It is inevitable."

"Well then." Chris said in response. "I guess I'll just have to cash out before that happens."

Colonel Bing was not interested in starting an argument with the man who was lightly twitching. It just was not worth it. "Why did you all decide to come back to New York?"

"We're here to finish it." Hera said. "You don't know what the last couple months were like for us." She paced around the room and observed it. This was a general workshop. There were drafts for brand new weapons that were done in great detail. Many of them were done in two-dimensional blueprints and color drafts that covered the walls, and in the case of some of them, even the ceiling. A wide-blade ceiling fan supplied cool air in the otherwise hot room. A couple of holographic designs were also jittering in the air. A motion-control interface allowed an observer to flip or turn the design in the air.

A couple of the others were interested in the room. Rouge was hefting an unloaded Krinkov PK-99. Despite being a spy, she held the rifle in appreciation, cycling the bolt and relishing in the sound. Colonel Bing took the gun in his artificial hand and placed it back on the counter. "I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your paws to yourself, ma'am."

"Paws?" Rouge said, narrowing her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Figure of speech. Meant nothing by it." Bing said quickly. "So. Finishing the fight."

"Confronting Marshall and removing him from power." John said. Even without his helmet, his motions were very robot-like, despite still being very much flesh and bone.

Colonel Bing laughed and paced around the room. He rolled up his sleeve on his artificial arm and scratched his shoulder where machine and man met. "You know, for a stone-faced Spartan sonofabitch, you make a pretty good comedian! President Troy Marshall is THE most powerful man in the Unified Earth Government. He's got entire planets' worth of private military in his pocket! His security has security! When he takes a piss he has to use retinal scans just to get a roll of TP!"

"He doesn't have _all _of the private militaries." Jackson spoke up. "CEO Gustoff is _not_ pleased with Mr. Marshall. Vanguard is vested in getting him removed. That's why we're here."

"If Vanguard's in this, rest assured that other PMCs or satellite companies will follow suit." Roan added. "We know something that very few others do."

"What's that?" Bing said.

Roan said solemnly, "President Troy Marshall orchestrated the assassination of John Cleary and the vice president, committing high treason against the UEG."

Bing was silent for a second. "The… President? He killed Cleary?

"For all we know, he pushed the button himself. Don't even get me started on planting shadow governments on other planets and orchestrating an elimination of all loose ends."

"Don't even get us started on the fact that he wants to start a war with another universe, our home." Sonic said, suddenly speaking out.

Bing didn't say anything but he paced around the room, leaning on the design table in the center of the room. "Ryan said he knew something was wrong when this whole thing started. We've been getting interesting news from other sources, specifically Doran."

Chris nodded. He knew of the hyper-secretive company located outside of government jurisdiction. If they knew things, it was serious.

"So why not pounce on him?"Sally demanded.

"Nothing but direct proof would satisfy the people we're talking about."

Jackson winced. "Our direct proof is probably in the hands of some spooks somewhere."

"Troubling." Colonel Bing said. "But direct confessions work well."

"How do you expect us to do that?" Hera demanded.

"You seem to be smart people. You've avoided ONI for this long. Maybe you can work some magic."

Chris wobbled in his seat. John steadied him immediately. "Easy, sir."

Chris waved his hand off. "I'm fine, Lieutenant. Thank you though." He cleared his throat and looked to Colonel Bing. "Is there somewhere nice and quiet I can go?"

"The range when nobody's on it." The Colonel said pointing his artificial digits towards a door marked with noise warnings. "Triple reinforced sound absorption foam. Even if you firing a fifty cal, it'd barely be a whisper."

"Excellent. I need a moment." He nodded and got up, looking twenty years older doing so. "No. Let me go." He stopped Sally before she could lay a hand on him. "Don't treat me like that. I need to keep whatever dignity I have left." He asked Colonel Bing, "Is there a weapon in there? Can I do some shooting?"

"Yeah, fully stocked." The man said. "No shortage of ammunition, that's for sure!"

"Thank you, sir." The Captain said as he walked slowly out of the room.

Now that Chris was out of the room, Bing looked at the young man's friends. "What's up with him?"

"He's not well at all." Sally whispered.

"Sick?"

"No. Worse."

"I hope he gets better."

"Me too." She blinked quickly, but steadied herself. "So. We were hoping you could help us again."

"Name it. I'll do what I can." The Colonel said.

"As you may know, we're not exactly a very welcome troupe of people in this town for the time being. I don't know if the authorities came by here before, but we need a place to lay low and plan."

The colonel thought about it for a while. "How long do you need to stay?"

"We're not sure. We need to do planning and thinking. Could be a day, but it could be a year. Rest assured though, we're going to finish what Marshall started, and I don't intend to leave until that's done."

* * *

The firing range was completely silent with the exception of a pair of rotating fans at the top of the room. The room was a bright off-white, rectangular, and was covered in tiles that Chris believed would display hard-light targets. He never really had a good look at this room whenever he stopped by. Usually it was just to browse on the main floor. He marveled at its expanse. It must have been five hundred meters at the most. _Where the hell was the warehouse then_?

"Um, hello?" he called out to the room.

"_How may I assist you, Captain_?" a female computerized voice called out. He steadied himself as he realized it was a simple computerized assistant. Not intelligent, but smart enough to confirm his identity from a database. It must have assisted customers that were back here in the range.

"I was… uh, hoping that I could get a couple rounds of shooting?"

"_By all means. I will be happy to assist. Would you like a weapon?_"

"That would be nice." Chris nodded.

At that, panels in the floor slid aside to reveal a hidden area beneath his feet. A massive rack of guns in a multitude of colors and configurations rose to eye level. Chris licked his lips, suddenly salivating at the sight of the gleaming weaponry. Chris realized that there were hundreds of pistols, rifles, shotguns, SMGs and even sniper rifles hung on racks, with copious amounts of ammunition on the bottoms of the rack. Had rarely seen so much hardware in one place, especially this good looking. The only time gear would be this shiny and _functional_ looking would be when it came out of the crates. His fingers danced across the rack, gently inspecting each weapon. He wasn't one to get emotional over killing tools… but he thought they were beautiful.

A couple raised his eyes. He even spotted an Izhmash AK-3K2. He had rarely seen any of these weapons on Talahan, but he knew the company name well. Tallahase rebels had rifles that were made in the vein of the old _Automat Kalashnikova_-style of assault rifles. Nikolai Kalashnikov would shed a manly tear in joy that his weapon designs would survive well over 1300 years after his death. Every bit of it gleamed. The metal was clearly polished, and the parts were all metal. The magazine was not made of the cheap plastics or poly-carbonates, instead being pressed steel with a custom fence design on the body. Of course, the Rycorp logo was on the bottom of the mag. The sights seemed clear, and the handguard was fitted with real leather. However, he passed up the AK though in favor of something a bit more… manageable. He finally selected one: a Bettley Model 8, a shortened carbine by the looks of it. He took the gun off the rack and inspected it in greater detail. He had rarely had the opportunity to look upon a Bettley before, and certainly not a Model 8. The weapon design itself seemed to strike the balance between smooth and boxy. Though the rounded frame was not exactly to Chris' liking, he found it quite comfortable to hold. The Model 8 had an integrated ghost ring sight that allowed clear acquisition of targets without sacrificing peripheral vision. It was light, possibly made of titanium alloys or something like that. The bolt was brushed steel.

Chris took a deep breath and decided to make a nice detailed check of the Model 8. This was an exercise to keep his mind flowing, so that he didn't… slip again. He noted every single screw, the ticks on the sight adjuster, and the texture of the charging handle. The Model 8's front grip could be grabbed at the front, or could be used as a hand protector. Chris grabbed a magazine from the rack and looked at it. 9.3x31mm PUNCH rounds. He had never heard of it. Could have even been one of Ryan's bizarre creations. He loaded the 40 round magazine into the Bettley and racked the first round into the chamber with a quite loud _cha-chak_, that was magnified by the empty room.

"_Would you like something to drink, Captain_?"

"Beer. Please."

"_Which brand_?"

"Uh… you have Steeler's?" Chris asked.

"_We are out of that._"

"How about Right Hook?"

"_We have that in stock_."

"Two bottles, please."

A panel opened in the wall. A robot on a single roller rushed towards him with two bottles of ice-cold beer in its hands.

"Sorry about that." It said in what seemed like an exasperated tone. "Thought we were out of this too!"

Chris smiled and took the bottles. "You did fine. Thank you."

"Happy shooting, sir!" it said turning on the spot and going back behind the panel.

Chris shrugged and popped open one of the bottles, drinking deeply. He downed nearly the whole container in one long drag and slammed it on the table next to him. He shook his head to banish the cold that gripped his skull. Now he was ready to go.

"Can I get some targets?"

"_Specify target type_."

"Traditional. Paper, fiberglass, aluminum; something in this category."

"_Very good. One moment, please._"

Chris shouldered the Bettley and gazed down the sight. He was ready to go.

"_Prepare to fire in three, two, one… commence_."

A target appeared. Man-sized, a series of four squares signifying parts of a body – standard target. He pulled the trigger on the Bettley. It barked three times, sending rounds screaming downrange. They blasted through the target. They impacted around the center of the target. That enemy would be knocked down. He wanted more.

They popped up faster after that. He trained the Model 8 on them and hammered bursts at them, faster and faster they popped up, and even faster he knocked them down. He found himself stepping over brass on the ground, and that he was slowly running out of ammunition. When the Bettley spat its last round and clicked, Chris slipped into Conditioned Awareness. In what appeared to be slow motion to him, he yanked the magazine out of the carbine, grabbed another on the table, and slammed it inside before the spent one hit the ground. He slapped the bolt release and kept on firing. Soon, he found himself out of that. He swapped mags again. When he hit the release a second time, he was in a warzone.

"_3-Charlie Echo, 3-Charlie Echo, air support is a no-go. Rebel AAA's giving us a hell of a day._"

Chris cursed. "Solid copy, Forward Command. Got any sort of ETA on some backup?"

"_That's unknown at this time, Sergeant Major. Please stand by until we can establish that._"

"3-Charlie Echo standing by." A bullet slammed by him, sending a cloud of dirt over his face.

"_Affirmative. Forward Command out_."

"Fucking moron!" Chris roared, getting back into the fray.

Camp Poseidon was burning.

Rebel firebugs snuck up on the UNSC troops during the night and light the camp on fire. This was wrong. It was a violation of the Geneva Conventions, but it seemed that these maniacs had no regard for Human life if it wasn't wearing those colors. It was also the first time he was the team leader after Kapplin's death.

"Brucie!"

Bruce Aer was huddling near one of the intact supports of the barracks sweating profusely. "Hey Sarge."

"You see them?"

"Yeah, bastards with napalm at the center of the camp. Some of the guys tried taking cracks at him, but I guess he's got snipers or something…" at that, a chunk of the support became concrete powder. "_Son of a fucking jerg!_" He cried out, blinking rapidly.

"You ok?!"

"Yeah. Yeah. Think I got some of that in my eye."

That sniper was now the number one priority. As long as he was harassing the UNSC troops, nobody could do anything. That sniper needed to die.

"Hey, everyone else OK?"

"_I'm here._" Sid Romano said.

"_Still alive for the time being._" Dean Sheppard announced. "_Guy next to me… not so much._"

"Jeff, you out there?"

Silence over the radio. Winston remained silent.

"If you're out there…" Chris risked a glance around the corner, struggling to see anything. Then he saw it. A glint of light among a tall hill away from the camp. "We have a sniper located about… 1500 meters away…"

He ducked back behind the column. Not a moment too soon. A section of the wall behind him exploded as the bullet tore a hole in the cinderblocks. A second later, the crack of the sniper rifle reached his ears. Half a second later, a second crack sounded.

"_Two hundred meters of elevation, two crosswinds, and thicker air due to humidity._" A beat passed. "_Target eliminated_."

Chris could detect the slight smugness in The Silent's voice. It came with being around the marksman. Say what you will about his sociability, but Jeff Winston could _shoot_.

"Sergeant! Incoming!" Aer cried out.

A rebel had gotten behind them. He raised a machete and charged them, face smeared with mud, clothes ramshackle, and eyes bloodshot and bright.

Chris leveled his rifle and fired without hesitation.

The paper target danced as the bullets dashed through them. The bolt on the Model 8 locked. Chris reached on the table to see if there was another, but he could not find one. He sighed, checked the chamber, unlocked the bolt, clicked on the safety, and lay the weapon on the table. Maybe the robot would pick it up when he was gone. He was about to take a step when he saw that the floor was covered with spent shell casings. Hundreds of spent shell casings, maybe even thousands.

He couldn't have fired all of those. He just couldn't have. It was a sea of brass.

"What the hell happened here?"

"What happened here? What happened there? What happened years ago? What will happen?"

He did not recognize the voice. He looked around to find the source of it. Two men were standing in front of him. One was dressed in combat armor, face obscured by a full visor and wearing night vision goggles. It was slightly unnerving being on the receiving end of that glare. The other... the other had a look that could best be described as _medieval_. He wore robes, a bow and quiver strung across his back, long shoulder length hair and a beard to match.

"I think it's obvious, boyo. _You _happened here. There. Everywhere. It's all subjective." The bearded man said in a strong Irish accent.

"Mind telling me who's holding the costume party? I feel left out."

"You're in no position to be making jokes, lad!" the warrior said. "You're nothing but a winging, complaining, bitching piece of work, you are! Not to mention your mind's gone to shite!"

"You're scaring those who are with you. You can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy." The soldier added. "You're a failure as a Human being. You're a failure to her. You're a failure to the universe."

Chris' heart beat faster in anger. He bit his lip and pointed towards the two men standing on a sea of shell casings. "Who are you. Why do you know me?"

The medieval warrior and the soldier looked at one another, then looked at Chris as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The said in unison, "We are a collection of your self-doubt, your repressions, and your sins."


	32. Chapter 32: Momento Mori

Chapter 32: Momento Mori  
June 10th, 3239, 1840 hours  
New York City  
Rycorp Building

The appearance of these figures in the middle of a locked room did not surprise Chris as much as he thought that it would. With the Bettley 8 still clasped in his hand firmly, he looked towards his new guests and huffed in amusement.

"You're me, huh? That's something else."

The soldier spoke: "I can see that after all that's happened to you, you're still a stubborn jackass."

"Hey." Chris said pointing an accusing finger at him. "I won't be talked down to by myself."

"That's better." The soldier said.

"It's clear that you're having a clash of personalities and an inner battle of the psyche." the Gaelic warrior said in his gruff accent."

"Who are you, Sigmund Freud?" Chris growled at the warrior. "You don't think I see that everything's falling apart? You don't think I know that I'm _fucked_?"

"Yes, but no."

"Oh do explain." Chris said sarcastically and moved to drop the mag from the Bettley, moving to reload yet once more from the seemingly endless supply. He dropped the empty magazine into a reloading slot where an automated system slotted cartridges into the box.

"On the surface you may have come to terms with what has happened." the ancient warrior said. "But your inner self, your true self, realizes that there's no hope for you ever gaining your balance again. That's why we are here."

"He's right." the soldier supplemented. "You think if you were sane and realized that everything was sunshine and bunnies that we would be here?"

It was a hell of a compelling argument when Chris was forced to take the word of a two thousand year old warrior and a faceless mook that hid behind his balaclava. "Who... who the hell are you two supposed to be anyway?"

"What, you don't recognize me?" The soldier said first. He lifted up his balaclava and Chris realized he was staring at himself. "You wore this exact uniform during the war."

"I did?"

"You did, especially during the Costovian Raids. Particularly bloody turn of events. Must have been important enough to you for me to be wearing it. Go figure."

The Captain turned to the other vision. "And what history book did you jump out of?"

"Hah. Funny, son! I like it!"

"Well, you obviously aren't me."

"Then maybe you'd better get yer eyes check, hmm? Look at yerself. Yer name. How you always address yourself. You who call yourself Italian. You know that people have two halves to them, right? Your mother was Irish. You are still an O'Conner as much as you take your father's name!"

The figure took a breath to calm himself, which was pretty impressive since Chris was sure that he was a hallucination. Pretty sure.

"I am everything that you choose to cast down and repress in your mind. Anything you feel that wasn't important enough, you decided to place with me because you felt that was for the best. Your heritage, you name, your mother..."

"No." Chris said, this time with anger. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this. That is not allowed!"

"And why can't I? She's my mother too! Maybe you don't feel comfortable with just us out here!"

"Maybe we should invite some friends..." The soldier suggested.

"No!" Chris cried. "No friends! No _nothing_!"

"I don't know if that's your choice anymore boyo." the warrior said in a low, amused voice. "Yer a shadow of yer former self. You have no more family. You have no more friends."

"Both of those are false."

"And they may leave you because of this... whole sordid affair. You don't think these men won't seek out your family and... deal with them?"

A brand new knot tied in his heart. He had forgotten all about his grandparents in Chicago, his aunts and uncles, how many others? They had to go save them."

"Save it." the warrior said. "You know it's suicidal. Besides, you have no ship."

"You know something? Maybe I am a bit suicidal!" Chris said, anger rising.

"Yeah? Put it where yer mouth is!"

Chris was fuming. He wouldn't be talked back to by a shadow. He looked in his hand, he still clutched the Bettley tightly in his fist. "Ready to see a magic trick?"

"This should be good." the soldier responded.

Chris looked at the gun, not thinking about anything whatsoever, his mind addled and mired so that even basic common sense had to be stamped and filed in triplicate to his frontal cortex. He gripped the Bettley's grip as if the whole gun threatened to shake itself apart, pointed it at his head, and with eyes wide open, glaring angrily at the Irish warrior, pulled the trigger.

* * *

"So there is no direct way to get to the government building." Sally breathed in an exhausted manner. She felt incredibly drained over the pas couple of days because of everything that had happened. She believed that perhaps some drugs or chemicals in ONI's food may have taken some energy from her. Right now she felt like she was moving through molasses. Everything felt slowed down, and monochrome. For a second, she thought she was going colorblind like some of the animals on Mobius.

"Are you kidding?" Colonel Bing said bringing up a holographic representation of New York. "Look at this thing! Probably one of the heaviest guarded places on Earth." He zoomed in on the giant spire that stood out on Manhattan Island. "6 kilometers tall, filled with more twists and turns than the Minotaur's labyrinth, and positively crawling with security forces. You don't stand a chance."

It wasn't a tactical assessment. It was fact. She knew that there was no secret power of friendship or believing in yourself that could get them through this. The odds were heavily stacked and she had to accept that. But she then said, "We'll just have to get caught then."

"What?!" Sonic blurted out. "Are you going insane too?"

"No." Sally said simply. "Marshall's been content to let us go thus far, for reasons that escape me really. Who's to say that if we get caught, he he won't let us escape a nice gloating?"

"So you're suggesting we play into his hands." Rouge announced.

"No." Sally said again. "We make him _think_ that we are. Meanwhile, we continue thinking of what happens after we get caught."

"Wow." Borne said. "That's so dumb it just may work."

_Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mr. Borne_. "Freedom Fighters. Do what comes naturally." She picked out Bunnie and Sonic. "Just like Robotropolis."

Sally then saw something that she never thought she would see again. A wide smile crossed Sonic's face. "Alright, I'm in!"

Bing's face also had a smile on it that was hidden with his artificial hand. It was covering his mouth as he held his chin, scanning the reactions of the Marines around him. He agreed with Borne. It may have sounded insane, but sometimes in order to get close to a target, one needed to feign capture.

Sally was about to ask the colonel about weapons, but then she did a quick headcount. They were one short, and her mouth went dry.

"Where is he." She said in absolute horror. "WHERE IS HE?!" She screamed, nearly at the top of her lungs.

Bing's mouth dropped. "Oh." he said. He pointed towards the door leading to the firing range that was clearly marked.

Nobody said anything. They were too afraid to. The blue fire in Sally's eyes terrified all of them. Even the battle-hardened veteran Colonel Maxwell Bing looked unable to answer Sally. "He said he wanted quiet."

Sally would have been flushed if her skin were visible. "You gave... a man who has tried to commit suicide many times... A GUN TO BLOW HIS FUCKING GODDAMN BRAINS OUT?!"

Even Sonic was considering running for cover.

* * *

Chris opened his eyes and saw a blinding light. It filled up his sight and it almost hurt.

_Well. Look at that... Guess I was wrong_. _Looks like there is a heaven after all_. Though Chris was confused. He thought if anything, he would have been worthy of hell ten times over. He wondered what it would be like to meet God or St. Peter and explain himself. He had been a naughty boy at times.

Then his vision resolved itself.

"Aw, it's just the florescents." The light had actually been the bright lamps on the ceiling. Chris found himself wondering why he _wasn't _in oblivion right now. He did everything right. It wasn't very hard to blow your own brains out – simply point, shoot, and presto, you now were breathing out a fourth hole!

But something was wrong. He wasn't dead. He wasn't even dying. He was perfectly fine.

"Well?" the Irish warrior said. "I'm waiting, sonny!"

Chris looked the gun over, almost worried that he was going to choke in front of the shade. He turned the gun over in hid hand and he let his head roll back in shame. He forgot to chamber the gun.

"Going for two then?" the soldier asked.

"Maybe. Hold on a second."

Chris didn't even realize that he was tackled until way after he was pinned to the ground by a green giant. The speed of the action amazed him but then he realized that there was no air in his lungs. He started gasping before his brain had totally registered that John had charged through the door, ripped the gun _in half_ from his hand, threw it across the room, and then proceeded to hog tie the Captain with plastic zip ties.

By this time, Chris had realized what was happening and began scream madly.

"NO! NO! DON'T LET HIM HAVE THE SATISFACTION! LET ME GO!"

Sally, running into the room shouted, "TIE HIM TO SOMETHING! MAKE SURE HE'S IMMOBILE!"

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

Chris saw the Irish warrior and the soldier smirking among themselves. They knew he was weak. He only had himself to blame for not showing him he wasn't weak or scared. John dragged him by one of his immobilized arms, and he was trying to kick or wriggle out of the Spartan's armored grasp, not knowing that it was entirely pointless.

"I'M NOT SCARED! I'M NOT AFRAID!" The Captain screamed, struggling to get free from his bonds as his skin cracked and blood started to flow. "DON'T LET THEM BEAT ME! LET ME WIN! JUST LET ME WIIIIIN!" Sally looked at the feral nature that had awoken her beloved Human's eyes, stared for a second and looked away.

She wept.


	33. Chapter 33: Change of Leadership

Chapter 33: A Change of Leadership

June 11th, 3239, 2107 hours

Manhattan Island, New York City

Ground Level

Sally felt sick to her stomach leaving the shop behind as she followed the group. The fact that they needed to keep the sick Captain literally tied up made her wonder if they were treating him like a criminal. Bunnie noticed this though and clapped her metal hand on the Princess' shoulder. Sally felt the weight, but still felt numb. This whole situation had taken a turn for the unusual to say the least, but now there were additional pressures on her now. She knew that she was thinking the obvious, but she didn't need her Human to die.

John had taken command at this point. Originally Abigail would have been the highest ranking officer, but she immediately abdicated command to the Spartan. Sally thought it was ironic though that they were following a military command structure since all of them would be considered outcasts. Nevertheless, John explained that a unit cohesion would allow proper flow of thoughts, and it was accepted by everyone that he was the undisputed expert on combat and even stealth.

Before leaving the shop, the objective was decided to infiltrate the government building at the north end of the island. Getting there would be easy, but actually getting into the building itself would be outstandingly difficult.

"Can we just assume that Marshall will let us walk in like he let us walk out of Tokyo?" Hera asked.

"That wouldn't be smart to assume, Major." Cortana said. "Marshall let us leave that facility, but I think that us approaching him would provoke a response. The personnel of the building might be a bit more hands on."

"Not to mention all of the regular cops." Reyes added.

"Then only a few of us can go in." Sonic said.

"Sal, if anybody deserves to knock Marshall on his ass, it's you." Bunnie said nodding solemnly.

"I can help in there." Sonic added. "They won't catch me." He gave a small smile. "Should be fun."

Hera's ear perked. "Permission to tag along, Highness?"

"Don't see why not." She shrugged. "Don't get overzealous, OK?"

"I'll certainly try my hardest." Hera assured.

Their weapons had been disassembled and placed within their packs. While they wanted to adhere to the philosophy that they did not want to fire upon UNSC personnel, that desire was becoming harder and harder to stick to as common UNSC forces would be likely to engage them, and to keep their own lives, the motley group would need to shoot back. If they were backed into a corner, they might not have been a chance to talk their way out of a problem. Sonic may have quipped that perhaps there would be a way to knock out any guards, John shook his head.

"No. There may be one or two Spartans in the Spire." He have what could be interpreted as a dry laugh. "They're not really easy to knock out."

"It was a suggestion, what do you want from me?"

So their realization of the situation was painful, but understandable. Nearly all of them were soldiers anyway; they knew that there was a time to fight and when to pass by.

"We shouldn't go together." Sally suggested. "Until we get to the Spire, we split up. Bunnie, Hera, Reyes, with me. John, you, Sonic, and Konstantinos are together. Borne, Jackson, Rouge, and Roan are group three.

"Can't I go with you?" Sonic asked her, looking a bit concerned.

"No. We'll look way to suspicious together. ONI washed some of your dye out too, right?"

"Don't remind me. That hose is terrible." He shuddered. "Yeah, I'm not as blue now, right?"

"I think it's permanently soaked in." Sally noted.

"Fine with me." he smirked.

The plan was to immediately split up and head to different parts of the city in order to dispel suspicion. A few of them gulped as they saw their faces scroll across billboards. Roan laughed.

"What's up?" Hera asked. "I just saw your face!"

"That's me when I had a full beard." He pointed out.

"So why is it funny?"

"I hated that beard. I look like my dad. Being in a Communist prison will do that to you."

Jackson shook her head slightly. "Don't even ask."

"_Looks like they haven't had time to update it with any new faces_." Cortana noted. "_Notice that only a few of our compatriots are out there. None of the Mobians are up there._"

"Most likely the Captain is still the priority." Reyes said. "They did not choose a good picture of him."

His picture was a digital reconstruction that made him seem much more sinister than he was. Chris' face was tense, his brows furrowed, and a deep frown above his chin. For some reason, they decided to portray him with a goatee.

"Um, why the beard?"

"Classic villain facial hair." Konstantinos said. "I personally would have preferred the Errol Flynn swashbuckler."

"I don't understand the mentality. What the hell is Marshall going at?" Sally asked.

NICOLE added, "_Maybe a few people in the government are trying to cover Mobius, you know, maybe the president slipped up_."

"Or it's not part of the plan just yet." Reyes suggested. "Bus is coming. If you want to want to get on, now's the chance."

There was indeed a bus coming down the crowded street. The automated transport had two cars joined by a flexible bridge between the two. Advertisements scrolled across the outside and the sign on the front read in flashy letters, 'UPTOWN'.

"Alright. We'll use radios to keep in contact. No public phones or video booths." Sally said. "Good luck everyone."

"Wait." Hera said. "What about weapons detectors?" she whispered this.

"_Cortana and I can help you there I think. Still, we won't move into any secure areas before that_." NICOLE said.

"_Shouldn't be tough._" The other AI added. "_I've broken through tougher_."

The bus coasted to a stop and opened its doors. A group of people dressed in various styles got up and into the bus. A few aliens, including Mobians were among them. A few of them threw a few quick double takes at the group of fugitives but shrugged it off. The Mobians didn't believe that the Princess would be out and about like a common person. John, Sonic, and Alex went with them into the bus. "See you soon." Sonic nodded. He was the last one on and the bus' doors closed.

"I'm sure Cortana has some change for the fare." Hera chuckled.

With that, the bus pulled away and into the heavy traffic of the city, and a third of their infiltration team was on its way. Sally wondered if John and Sonic would stand out too much, but banished the thought. She needed to be on the ball, not wallowing on doubts.

From there, they started walking. It wouldn't take as long as she thought to find another mode of transportation. She ensured that the collars of her jacket were popped high so that she wouldn't draw attention to herself. Jackson seemed unremarkable enough in her own right. A Mobian rabbit cyborg on the other hand stood out like a sore thumb.

"Jamie." She said to him.

"Highne... yes?" he said, stopping himself before he gave them away.

"You have a jacket?"

"In the bag, yeah."

"Give it to Bunnie."

He pursed his lips for a second and said, "That's... uh, covering the 'stuff'."

"Bunnie stands out; that's more important than anything else."

Reyes nodded and ensured that he opened the bag slowly. He pulled out the jacket, ensuring that the gun components were still covered by the top flap, and then threw it over to Bunnie. She snagged it, nodding in appreciation and slid it over her shoulders. It wasn't perfect, but unless one was looking for her in the packed streets of Lower Manhattan, Bunnie Rabbot would be a hard woman to find, especially with the din of the surrounding crowd to disorient spotters. To make it even more difficult, she folded her ears behind her and tied them with a rubber band, similar to how Hera was.

Sally pushed through the crowd with Bunnie by her side and Hera a second behind them. Two seconds behind her were Borne, Jackson, Roan, and Reyes. An odd group, but one that still moved undetected in the city for the most part.

"_Heads up everyone. Subway coming up fast. Might be a good time to split up again._" NICOLE announced.

"Agreed. Team 2, get your passes ready."

"_I've slipped into the NYTS. Child's play. They really need to change their encryption protocols... oh you've got to be kidding._"

"What's wrong?" Sally asked, suddenly concerned.

"_The ticket server's password is Adonis. Someone's full of themselves_."

"Sounded like it was easy to crack." Sally said.

"_If you're looking for the right things, __it's easy to find._"

It turned out that hacking was a lengthy process even for an AI. Usual decryption software looked for patterns in the code that tended to match up with what was in the database. Piece by piece, passwords and encryption could be picked away with a chisel until the whole thing stood clean. A Human would sometimes brute force it. Effective, but slower and more prone to detection unless they were trained. AIs worked much quicker and tended to try to crack _other_ systems at the same time while they were at it. It turned out that most people tended to carry over passwords from one account to another, so by using simple logic, it would be easy to assume that one password could potentially unlock five or more systems. Some people tended to mix it up by replacing letters with numbers or added things like '000', '111', '222' and so on to the end of usernames or passwords. Cute, but trivial. Finally, sometimes people got really creative and used random encryption generators that made each password unique whether they wanted it or not. This was where hacking got difficult since there was really no information pool to draw on, which led to a lot of trial and error, even with AIs. Systems needed to be frozen, alarms needed to be confounded, and numbers needed to be tried and tried again. Eventually, things worked out, and by the time the system thawed, the database showed all green; no alarms triggered.

Thankfully none of that happened here. The ticket official (who was definitely not Adonis by any stretch of the name), simply posted a _sticky-note _on his monitor and a quick glance at the camera would show that.

"_You are now all on CityPass. Don't worry, you all have falsified identities graciously provided to you by the city of New York. Nobody's going to give you trouble._"

"Excellent." Roan said. It was another two blocks to the subway station. They played it cool by walking with the crowd looking like any other New Yorker, Human or otherwise. Everyone except Reyes and Reyes kept on looking all over the city in wonder of the bigness of it all. To be fair, they did come from small towns and cities and they were not used to skyscrapers and such.

"This is where you guys get off." Hera noted. Allen, William, and Sam nodded, and peeled off from the group. They didn't look back as they descended down the stairs leading to the subway tunnel.

Shortly after, John's voice buzzed into her ear.

"_Status_?"

"Group 2 is away, Lieutenant." Sally responded. "What about you, Spartan?"

"_We're still mobile_. _Just passed 43__rd__ Street_."

"Anybody stare at you, John?"

"_Not for long. I stare back. Out_."

Sally shook her head at his attempt at humor. He must have smacked his head sometime after they met for the first time. Nevertheless, she herself blew more air out of her nose than usual. For the remaining members of the fugitives, the long road lay ahead. Even if Marshall's men could outmaneuver both Cortana and NICOLE, scan the city and locate two different forms of transportation scattered around the city, and furthermore locate which vehicle the potential infiltrators were gathered in, the third group was ready to throw a monkey wrench into things. They weren't riding at all. They were going to walk the rest of the way.

* * *

Chris had been hit in the head hard. How hard was something that he really could not quantify so well, so he had to make a guess. The slush which was what was left of his brain fired up; neurons flared and struggled to ignite some form of conscious thought. His body responded, and his eyes slowly and painfully started to open. His vision was foggy, and he struggled to make heads or tails of his surroundings.

"Ugh... Tails..." his mouth managed to say. It sounded garbled to him. He might not have even said anything meaningful at all. If he was in a proper state of observation, he may have diagnosed himself with a concussion. To be quite fair, he had been hit in the head often these past few weeks. He came to the conclusion that Reyes must have hit him again, doing only what he was ordered to do, and Chris couldn't fault him for that. However, when he tried to move his mouth again, he found that it was nearly impossible to do so. He wondered with a start whether or not his jaw was broken to keep him from talking, but he found out that he had been gagged. Tape stuffed in his mouth covered by more tape around his neck and face. He reached up to try and rip it off, but he couldn't. His arms had been bound as well as his legs. He found out what had happened, but the idea shocked him. He had been tied up and had been left behind. He looked around to try and see where he was. He believed that he was still inside Rycorp, but he didn't recognize this room. It was large and empty.

And silent.

This scared him too much. He pulled at his bounds, but it didn't work. He was strapped to a support pillar at the corner of the room.

_They left me. They left me and they tied me up! THE BASTARDS!_

He thought this with such anger, but not long after this, a door opened and a man walked forward.

_It's Marshall. They sold me out! I knew it, I knew they would do this to me!_

But it wasn't Marshall at all. It was Bing, who walked towards him with what looked like a jug of water in his artificial hand. A cigarette hung in his mouth and he puffed on it.

"Looks like you're awake." he said with a sigh. "You've been out for over a day. You've popped in and out, but that was only for a moment or two."

Chris stared at the colonel with angry eyes.

"Look, you tried to blow your head off; don't look at me like that. The only reason you failed was because you didn't charge the damned thing. I don't know if you're a religious man, but that's Providence if I ever saw it." He placed the jug on the ground. "You talk in your sleep, you know that?"

_Like a crazy man_?

"It's gibberish. I didn't know it at first, but now I can see you pose a danger to yourself and others. This is the best place for you. If you were a soldier and if you served under me, you'd be in a military prison faster than you could kiss my ass." He shook his head sadly. "I pity you, Captain, but if your friends are right, then there's no fixing you."

_That's where you're wrong. They can fix me. They can help me._

"Anyway, I thought you might be thirsty. Had to forcefeed you last time. Maybe you're up to it now." He unwrapped the tape and took out the gag. Bing expected the young man to snap at him, but Chris remained quiet. "How are you, you crazy bastard?"

"Comfy." Chris said in a raspy voice. "Let me out."

"No." Bing responded. "Heads up." He took the jug and put it in the Captain's mouth. Water flowed, and the Captain swallowed, but spat when he got a bit too much.

"Jesus! Watch the arm."

"Sorry." Chris apologized. "Where are the others?"

"They're out." Bing responded, giving Chris another drink. "The Spartan tied these knots himself. They wanted to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

Chris tried to move his arm, but to no avail. "I should be out there with them."

"No, you shouldn't, and I'm going to tell you why." The colonel said. "You have proven to them that you are absolutely out of your mind. Now, I know you've got some information in your head that's making you do this, and under different circumstances, I'm sure you're a stand-up guy. Right now, you're a suicidal, hallucination-seeing lunatic."

Chris glared angrily, and was somewhat glad and upset that the bindings were holding him back. "If you've seen what I've seen..."

"Then I'm sure I'd be a stark wacko too." Bing finished. "But even then, I'd be asked to be put in chains." He placed the jug under his arm. "Besides, the last thing you want right now is public exposure. You're one of the most recognizable men in North America right now. You might need a face lift before it's safe to come out for air again. Anyway... I'll be down to check on you in a few hours. Or I'll send one of the bots to do that. Want a sedative?"

"No."

"Suit yourself." the colonel said.

"What if I've got to piss?" Chris asked in bitter humor.

"I dunno, scream or something; it'll carry." He nodded, turned on his heel, and then walked away. At least he didn't put the gag back in.

Chris watched Bing walk away, still struggling to get free, but he was stumped by the expertly tied knots. "God dammit, John." he whispered. "Good job."

He hung there for what felt like hours, and Bing nor a robot had come to see him. It was uncomfortable to hang against this support pillar, but there was not much he could do about it. So he stood there in silence. He itched, and was not able to satisfy it. He wasn't thirsty, but he was hungry. He was scared, but did not call for companionship.

He didn't think of Sally once in all that time. But he did think of the Librarian. For some reason, thinking of the enigmatic Lifeworker brought him a sense of peace that he couldn't find with anybody else. Upon thinking this, there was a warmth that he had not felt before. He opened his eyes, and there she was, standing in the darkness enveloped by a column of light. She said nothing, and moved not an inch, but the Captain's face broke into a smile. He almost shed a tear.

"My sweet _H__a_manue."

"Lifeshaper." he said, invoking her title.

"There is more."

His eyebrows shot up. "More?"

"Indeed. Are you prepared?"

He wasn't sure. He tried to say something, but couldn't find the words. All he could do as stare at the Forerunner and simply try to comprehend her. She simply stared at him intently and waited for his

response. He found his voice a moment later. "Yes."

She nodded once, and the they were gone. Pain spiked up and down his spine and his brain lit up. Stars flew past, and galaxies pinwheeled in the void. Light flew by so quickly that it was something like a blur. They were moving at speeds dictated impossible by physics. Moving through the galaxy in this manner seemed unreal, but with the dark blood red nebulae tugging at his vision, it may as well have been a nightmare. A black hole passed so close to his face that it warped space, startling the Captain. But then they stopped near the core. A dark brown planet covered the horizon. Chris could see that it was an ancient rock, covered with impact scars from billions of years ago. Its poles were wrapped with pasty white clouds, and an old and salty ocean sat near the equator. Shadowed against the nebula, a lonely moon orbited this forgotten world. Far in the nebula, young stars ignited for the first time, drawing even further attention from this place.

"Where are we?" Chris asked.

"There is no word for it in your language. To the Lifeworkers, this world was known as Parl-625d. Its true name has been forgotten to the ears and tongues of the galaxy, but its image was always the same. To the Ontagbri, it was the place where the souls of the damned were sent. To the Ool, it was the star of the Three Devils. To the Ll'lk, the point of the sky where battles where to be honored and it was prayed to in times of war.

"Seems like hell." The Human said.

"That may not be far from fact. Come, _ha_manue."

The planet of old drew closer, and soon they stood on its charred surface. Wind blew, and dust puffed along the horizon. A volcano spewed smoke into the air, and not a single point of life was visible. He could see himself now, and felt solid. The Librarian stood next to him, wearing her dress and floating plates of metal.

"Were you here, Human, the air would scorch and choke you. It is not for your lungs nor was it ever.

Chris wondered what the point was then. "So why bring me here? If... if this planet is dead, what am I gonna learn?"

The image of the Librarian got close to him, and it said, as if scolding him, "You will see what I wish you to see, and you will not raise your voice to me. While my love for he Humans is great, I am still Lifeshaper, and you will respect my office." She gathered a handful of the soil. "We studied this planet for over a century, probing its depths and its uniqueness. The Miners wanted it. I argued against it. Thankfully the Council saw reason in this.

Chris didn't pretend to understand. He just went with the flow.

My Lifeworkers studied the history of this planet, and we concluded that the whole star system was not native to this galaxy."

Chris had to understand that. A whole star system _came from another galaxy_?

"Yes indeed." The Librarian said, responding to his thoughts just as the Didact had. "It is a wanderer. Older than this galaxy in fact. Probably older than many galaxies in this group. When my fellow Lifeworkers though tried to find where it's parent was, we could not find anything."

"What do you mean?" Chris said, struggling to understand what she meant.

"Its parent galaxy was gone. The path where it came from pointed to nothing but empty space."

"Maybe it was destroyed." the Human suggested.

"Perhaps." the Lifeshaper said. "It will forever be a mystery to us. What we do know though was that it braved the lonliness of the void, the sky lit by nothing but the brightest galaxies... and it ended up here eventually, caught in the pull of the central black hole."

"The prison."

She nodded.

"So... um..." he looked around and kicked a rock on the ground. "Did... anybody live here?"

She looked as if she had been waiting for that question. "One of the greater mysteries of the Lifeworkers. Come, _ha_manue."

She walked, and he followed. Chris saw the landscape fall away, and a pool of magma lay before him, fed by the nearby volcano. Chris suspected that if he had really been here, he would have roasted before he had even gotten close. The Librarian walked along the boiling river grabbing a handful of the volcanic ash and let it fall from her outstretched hand. They walked for quite some more time along the edge of the pool, following a run off that led further down hill. To pass the time, Chris looked into the sky, and he saw the bright nebula that he saw from orbit. It was so bright, it seemed to serve as a second sun, shining brightly upon this forgotten world. The orange sky seemed almost like perpetual sunset.

"Let me ask you a question."

The Lifeshaper did not even turn around. "Yes?"

"Why near the core of all places? Why did it come here?"

"Perhaps luck?"

That didn't fly. Forerunners implanted 'luck', the _geas_ as evidence. "I don't buy that."

"Then perhaps you may have answers that we don't?"

"No." Chris said after a moment of silence. "It just seems... off, that's all."

"Then be silent." she gently said, then pressed forward. "We are near."

They were indeed. Chris' eyes lit up as he saw a massive pyramid, stretching nearly a mile at its base, and half a mile high. Chris actually wondered why he didn't see this immediately upon appearing here. The Librarian led him down to the pyramid's base, but then stopped.

"Are we going inside?" Chris asked.

"No."

"Why not? Lost the key?" He smirked.

"Because I won't open it. We never did."

"Why?"

"This planet had been studied for millions of years by the Lifeworkers, but they never would have stepped within. The reason is this symbol." she held her arms out. A triangle appeared between them.

"It's a triangle."

"It's a symbol."

Chris shrugged. "So... what does it mean?"

"It depends on the society. Even within the Forerunners, this symbol meant any things. To the Lifeworkers, it represents the continuity of life, spirit, and body. To the Juridicials, it's the trio of Justice. To the Engineers and Builders, it is a shape that holds its own strength to a remarkable degree. But here, _ha_manue? It means nothing, at least, none that we could determine." The symbol disappeared and she rubbed the wall. "Every being in this galaxy has a connection of some sort. This is alien to us."

"You're smart." Chris quipped. She glanced over at him. "Well, you _are_. Your people should have had the resources and funds to crack this."

She gave a sad laugh. "That's the tragic part. By the time the council got over its collective bungling... that's when the Flood reared its head."

"Oh."

"We said that we would get back to this when it was all over, but that never happened."

He didn't say anything that time.

"It was the belief of the Lifeworkers that this world and the Prisoner were linked in some way. I will give upon you its location within your mind. When you need it, it will become available. Until then, it will sleep. Remember the symbol. Its importance may help you unlock these secrets. Maybe you'll find things the Forerunners have not."

The image shifted one more time. The Librarian was gone, and he expected to be brought back to his own world, but he wasn't there yet. A booming voice called out. "Warrior, I have a final warning for you." He turned around in confusion, and saw the Didact right behind him. He jumped in terror at the sight, but steadied himself. Hopefully the Didact's image did not see this.

It didn't appear so. It was only a simple message. "Should you or your kind go after what my wife has shown you, I give you this warning: do not attempt to control it. Follow my example, and destroy it. If the Librarian is correct and this forgotten rock is indeed linked to the Prison and its tenet, then it should be eliminated as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"Why?! You ask _why?!_" The Didact barred his teeth in anger. "You saw what the Prison did to us?"

"That was a black hole!"

"But it did not harm the station! We wanted to know why!"

"You're right. I won't make such a tactical error."

He snarled, and then steadied himself. "If you value the existence of this galaxy, then you will do as I say! The Prisoner may have failed last time, but that was luck, no matter what my wife might lead you to believe otherwise. This time, you may not be so fortunate. Aya, now you may go."

He awoke with a start and burning pain in his head. He couldn't reach it, but he shouted in pain. He thought that this would draw Bing or one of the service robots, but he was disappointed. He struggled to keep his reactions in check, but the pain did not dare go away. He tried to recall the Librarian's words, but it felt like a dream that he couldn't remember. The planet that the Librarian mentioned was a whisper and its location was impossible to recall, but he remembered the triangle. What did it represent? Why was a simple triangle so prominent? He wasn't in any shape to ruminate on it.

"Bing!" He shouted, hoping he was hearing. "Bing! I need to talk to you!"

He didn't come. A voice did come from the darkness though.

"Christopher."

The voice was sweet and alluring. He knew it, and was frightened by it.

"Who's there?"

"My love."

"Who's there?!" he repeated, agitated.

Two bright pinpoints of light appeared in the dark. They grew closer and closer. A woman appeared. She wasn't a Human, but she could have been one. Dark brown fur, red hair, and blue eyes. She would have been beautiful had she not been covered by blood from head to toe.

"I've finally found you." She whispered. Her voice echoed in the room, and she crept closer to him. A light burst, spraying sparks all over the floor. Darkness followed her, but the two pinpricks of light in her blue eyes were always visible. Chris struggled to get free, but could not. He grew more and more scared as the bloody woman walked closer with red footprints in her wake.

"Don't touch me!" He stammered.

"Why not?" She asked, seemingly concerned. "But I love you."

"I don't even know you!"

She stopped a foot away from him. He smelled the terrible tinge of copper in the air. He closed his eyes and hoped that it would go away, but when he opened them again, it was still there.

"That's OK, my sweet Human. We'll make new memories." She took her lips and planted them on his.

He felt violated. Blood flowed over his face, into his eyes, and into his mouth. He gagged. He tried to break way, but his bindings prevented it. It was the perfect trap.

Then the pain came again. Before he passed out, he saw more points of light appear in the dark. He felt small and helpless. He was afraid. When the rest of the shades started to move in and violate his mind...

...then, then he began to scream.

And he was helpless.


	34. Chapter 34: The Broken Mirror

Chapter 34: A Broken Mirror

June 11th, 3239, 2000 hours

Castle Acorn, The Wardroom

Mobius

"Sergeant, I must ask you not to smoke your cigar within here." Maximilian said, arms on the table supporting his head. His eyes had bags under them, and he had not slept for two days. Horatio had suggested that he take sedatives, but they didn't help. Ever since his power had been reduced to regency, he had been acting differently. Alicia had tried to help, but it was clear that this was something that was not going to go away. Max had consulted specialists and had gone to every major psychiatrist in the Kingdom and beyond. Three days ago, he had brought in Dr. Vitaly Taganiv, a Human doctor from Wolf 359, a Human star system. After a lengthy conversation, he determined what all the other doctors did. Max was suffering from acute unipolar depression and rapid onset somatic reactions. Max took those reactions to heart, but kept on taking the pills.

Now, he was a man with barely even a title. Over a thousand years of royal tradition and ruling with a loving hand over his subjects destroyed in the blink of an eye. And he signed the damned order. What more did he have left? Did he even have his daughter anymore? He already lost his son...

None of these thoughts made their way to the surface of course. He still had to present some level of professionalism. It wasn't like a politician to buckle under pressure, and like it or not, he was still a politician.

Johnson sat opposite of him along with other members of OMEGA. Miles Prower sat at his left, Ryan Percy on his right, and pacing behind them was Jolee Bindo, the man away from his home. Johnson held the smoking cigar in his right hand, but stopped his drag at the King's request...

...at the _Regent's_ request.

"Sorry, sir." the Sergeant said. "Figured since there was already a musky smell in here that it was something of a smoking area."

Max smiled. A memory surfaced. "That would be my father's pipe. If you'll indulge me a bit of a story it'd make me feel a lot better. My father was something of a smoker, and his wife the queen was not fond of his habit, but he kept on with it anyway. He loved to smoke cigars, but he had this amazing calabash pipe. It must have been the size of your closed fist, like that." he clenched his hand to give them the example. "He smoked it every day in this room where my mother-in-law would have never found it. Ever since then, there has been a smoky ceder smell in this room. So don't take my request as hostility towards your smoking, but it's so I can preserve the scent of my father's pipe. It comforts me, and especially in this time, I need all the comfort I can get.

"Do you still have the calabash, Highness?" Ryan asked.

"I do." he smiled with fond memory. "But I never smoke it you understand. But, we have strayed too far off topic. Miles, please speak on your findings."

Tails cleared his throat to gain attention. "You're aware that we found a cloaked ship that was located within the Great Forest. You're also aware that based on additional information that was gathered we believe that the presence of the ship and the kidnap of Sonic, Sally, and Bunnie coincided with one another.

"Are you saying that the UNSC kidnapped my daughter?" Max said, ire rising. "Please don't give me that possibility, Miles."

Tails face contorted as he thought. "Given what we've heard about the rest of our team, especially with the incident regarding the Captain the night that this whole thing started, I'm more willing to point at ONI."

"Naval Intelligence." the former king said, shaking his head. "And if we're correct, Marshall is behind this."

"You're certain of this, your majesty." Jolee said. "I think we're both old enough to know that making these sort of accusations is not something that should be taken lightly." He crossed his arms and looked intently at him.

"Are you saying I'm wrong, Master Jedi?"

"No, not at all." Bindo said, hands up in defense. "But consider it from not a personal, but a political perspective. You are absolutely certain of something, and we know that you are correct on this. The Force may not touch me in this world like it does back home, but there are certain things you pick up and you never forget. Highness, I urge you to approach this carefully. If you go forward and accuse Marshall if what you believe, the backlash could be enormous."

"They'll want proof that you don't have." Johnson said.

"But this ship is proof that there is an illegal occupation in the Kingdom's area!"

"An area that now falls within the jurisdiction of the UEG." Jolee added.

Max raised a finger to try and fight it, but he realized that he was beat on that front and collapsed back into his chair, taxed and burdened by this whole ordeal. "So... any suggestions, gentlemen?" he spoke after a long time of silence.

"We wait." Bindo suggested. "We know that the Captain managed to escape."

"And he could have been caught for all we know!"

There was a knock at the door. Max rose to his feet and smoothed his suit jacket. "Please enter." he said in a calm voice. The element of OMEGA looked at one another in curiosity and concern.

The door opened and a member of the Secret Service member walked in. The others thought he was a polecat or something like that.

"Ah, Geoffrey." the Regent said, shaking the man's hand. "Please, come in, come in. Would you like anything to drink?"

Geoffrey St. John spoke in what sounded like an Australian accent, but Miles could easily place it as Downundan. "No thank you, sire. I've actually got to get moving again, but I just wanted to give you a status report on our spy network's progress on researching what's happening on the other side."

"Yes, please."

"We've been in contact with... erm..." he looked around. "Is... uh, this room secure, sire?"

He motioned the agent to come inside. He also nodded at the guard outside who returned it. Once St. John was inside the room, Max touched a control on the wall.

"What happened?" Johnson asked.

"Faraday cage just activated." Tails smiled. "Pays to have the newest toys." He rocked in his chair with the gleeful childish smile on his face. "No messages in or out. We're fine now."

St. John, apparently satisfied, looked at Max with now comforted eyes. "Alright sire. Like I was saying, we've been in contact with some of our agents on Earth. They've been hearing a few things that may be of interest. Word on the ONI channels is that there's been a breakout at the Tokyo administrative facility."

"So how does that help us?"

"Now this was a bit tougher to obtain since there's a hefty security tag going along with this, but it is believed, and I have no way to confirm this, that a number of high value prisoners managed to walk right out of the facility. Once again, I stress that I have no way to confirm this..."

"Go on, Geoffrey!" Max said with baited breath.

"Our agents report that your daughter was one of the prisoners that was able to escape."

Max had fallen into his chair before St. John had even finished that sentence. He prayed to Aurora a line of relief. Things maybe weren't as bad as he thought they were. "I believe that Sonic was among them too?"

"Possibly, sire. No further details on the prisoners."

"Did they say where they went?" Johnson asked.

"That's a bit of a stumper, Sarge." the agent said, informally addressing Johnson. He would chew the boy out, but right now, there were bigger fish to fry, presidential style. "ONI has no clue where the fugitives are. They do have word that the inmates escaped on the transport ship _Alameda_, but they lost contact with it over the Atlantic Ocean. To this hour they have still not been able to find it."

"Probably swapped ID signatures with other ships." Miles suggested. "Would be a simple thing."

"And that's probably what happened." Geoffrey said in agreement. "But a planet's a big thing. It'll take some time for Marshall's men to find them."

"So what do you think, we go and find them?" Johnson suggested.

"No." Max said. "If we... if _I _do anything, I'll be seen as acting against the UEG by supporting so-called criminals. They'll remove me from whatever power I'll have left, and that will be that, my friends."

"So you're suggesting that we just sit and wait?" Tails asked.

"Yes." Max decided. "I don't know what's going on at Earth, and I think it'll be better that way." he paused at one end of the table. "All the same though, Geoffrey, how deep do our connections go?"

"Deep enough to keep a few ears open." St. John nodded.

"Keep me updated. Does ONI suspect that the _Alameda_ disappeared anywhere notable?"

"Right now they think San Francisco on the Western American Seaboard."

"Very good, Geoffrey. Dismissed." Max tapped the wall controls and the electronic barrier dropped around the Wardroom. Electrical signals could not be send in and out.

"Sire." St. John nodded respectfully and left the room.

When the Secret Sevice agent left the area, the Regent turned to Jolee. "Master Jedi, I've heard of your exploits from those that returned from your world. Have you seen anything like this before?"

Bindo nodded. "Sure. Plenty of times. I've been cruising around the galaxy... well, _my_ galaxy anyway to see wars erupt, governments overthrown, and kings assassinated. Erm, sorry about that last one."

Max looked at the floor nervously.

"But nevermind that." Jolee. "There was this one Twi'lek government that tried to set up shop and overthrow the semi-sovereign state of Rinkast. The military dictatorship that took over was cruel and harsh."

Max wasn't sure what to make of Bindo's story.

"Go on." he said regardless.

"So, people were naturally unhappy as one can imagine. You know what they did?"

"What?" the Regent asked.

"They kept their mouth shut and went on with their lives."

"But Master Jedi, how can one live in such tyranny? How can people go on with their lives if hey have an oppressive government?"

The old man held up a finger. "Ah, but see, some people didn't. Some people thought it would be good to overthrow the Rinkastian military government. However, they made one mistake: they spoke about it. Spies heard of the rebellion and it was crushed the night of it's formation. The Rinkastian dictatorship continues legally, perhaps to this day. Can't really tell to be sure."

Miles, Ryan, and Avery were listening intently to the Jedi's wisdom.

"So, my King, if you will have my counsel, I have one piece of wisdom that I hope you will consider."

Max nodded. "Speak."

"Do as the citizens did. Wait. Strike too early and too loudly, and we all lose. Take beatings if need be, but in the end, the opposition may become cocky, and will let their guard down. Only then can you strike. And that is what the Rinkastians will do if they have any sense."

Those were not the words that Max wanted to hear. He didn't want ramblings or talking about examples. He needed to take action and fight for his crown if he felt that it was indeed his and not a criminal like Marshall's. He wanted to get up and tell the old man that he was wrong and that it was through will and purity of heart that he would stand, fight, and maybe even die for his country and world. That's what he said when he took the scepter on the day of his coronation. But he felt his heart tear in two when he realized that Jolee was right. If Geoffrey was correct, Sally was still alive, and Max had enough faith in his daughter to know that she would do whatever it took herself to stop Marshall before his grip on Mobius was too tight to let go. If she could succeed, legal rule to the Kingdom could return. Max was also aware that his counterparts all over the planet could have been faced with similar problems.

However, there was still one thing that he could not place. Something that was on the tip of his chin looking up at him, but yet he couldn't see it yet. Why exactly did Marshall need Mobius? If it was for the Emeralds, he could honestly get them elsewhere. Again, if it was because he wanted to control, there was far more space. From a tactical perspective it made no sense. Marshall's reasoning was odd and untraceable. He would need to ask the man himself just what the hell he was doing, and doing that would risk him moving further with his plans. So Max would need to be like the Rinkastians and wait.

"I need some time to consider everything that's happened. Please, see yourselves out gentlemen."

The group got up silently and exited the room, leaving Max to look at his father's sword in thought, cursing the hand fate had dealt him.

* * *

Far beneath the ice of Antarctica, Gerome Andsworth sat with a stasis field constricting his movement. He had been given the courtesy of a chair to sit on, but it was clear that his captors wanted anything but comfort for him. He had been dragged here, disgraced and defeated through hordes of people who once thought of him as an honorable individual. It was painful to do so and it was clear that those calling the shots here intended it 100 percent. Throughout his public hazing, Gerome wondered why he was brought to Antarctica. This semi-frozen continent was a little close to home considering all of the places Marshall could have dragged him. He then realized that in the past, Antarctica was covered with much more ice and would have seemed much more inhospitable. Perhaps someone was feeling the tinge of nostalgia when they hauled him in.

He didn't really have the luxury to look around, but judging from some of the notices on the walls, he was somewhere underneath Mount Wade, which would have been useful to anybody that would be coming to break him out. However, Andsworth realized that there was nobody coming to save him from this. This was the way it had to be, and he had ensured that the Captain would get enough distance between Marshall and his team. However, since he had sent them on the way to Tokyo to retrieve the missing team-members, Andsworth was, for lack of a better term, left in the dark. It was almost a literalism as well. Light worked its way poorly into his cell, shining into his face so that he couldn't make out more than a few feet in front of him. He glanced at the light in the ceiling: a suspended halogen light dangling from a string like the bulbs of the old interrogation rooms. He halfheartedly wondered if they were going to shine it in his face and ask him where he was the night of the 15th.

Before he could think further on the subject, the doorway to his cell opened without more than a whisper. Two men in matching uniforms walked in. Both were built like Spartans with intimidating biceps, chiseled jaws, and of course, soulless eyes.

_Hunters_. Andsworth thought as he narrowed his eyes. He could still hate the President's pet projects with full ability. That being said, they were remarkably disciplined and waited for something. Andsworth couldn't move anyway in the stasis field. He was forced to wait, unable to even twitch, yet he could summon enough strength to move his eyes and see what was going on. Seven minutes later, one of the Hunters glanced at something on his wrist and plucked it off his bracer. He placed it on the ground and waited. Andsworth knew a projector when he saw one, which meant that there was going to be a transmission of some sort, or not. It very likely could have been a bomb, so Gerome simply waited for it to go off and get it over with. Either he could get into the meeting or get in line for resurrection. Either which sounded fun.

The device winked a light on its body and a column of energy shot up to the ceiling. A Human's form appeared in the brightness, standing just a few inches off the ground. Andsworth knew who it was going to be before the hologram fully formed. Marshall, for all intents and purposes, stood in the room wearing one of his well tailored suits and ties that bore a strange design on it. Alien characters of power from a long dead civilization, Gerome guessed. The President smiled, but Andsworth naturally knew it wasn't one of genuine greeting or welcome. It was the same way that a man smiled before he would stab a man in the chest. Marshall was indeed glad he was there, but it was only so that he could see the broken Admiral strapped to a seat.

"Good evening, Admiral!" He said cheerily though. His form wavered slightly. Marshall himself was probably in his office back in New York or something like that. The President must have known that of course and answered, "No doubt you're wondering why we can't have this meeting personally between you and me. I apologize. I'm on a personal visit to dedicate a school to the late John Cleary." He was loved by students everywhere. I remember he actually visited one of my nieces in school one day and helped convince her to want to become a politician. Just like uncle Troy."

Andsworth wanted to say something, but they must have found a way to muzzle him.

"Oh, my apologies, Gerome. Please lower the fields, gentlemen."

One of the Hunters nodded and tapped a panel on the wall. Gerome felt his muscles respond and his mouth seemed free to form words again. The first thing he did was look at the President's hologram angrily. "You're dirt, Marshall. How dare you try to shift the blame."

"Oh, and by the way Gerome: quantum entanglement. One particle pair, one link. No way to trace unless you've bugged an end, and I've already seen to that. Managed to ensure all the kinks were worked out on both ends, so if you're thinking of getting me to say something... suggestive, you're wasting whatever breath you have left."

Andsworth gave up that avenue. Incriminating Marshall was right out. That was alright though. There would be others that would work on that. Instead he asked, "Where's my XO?"

"Oh, Xander?" Marshall asked. He snapped his fingers and a file appeared in thin air. He read it over once. "Oh, he's dead."

Andsworth looked to the floor. He was the sole survivor of the _Burro_ now.

Marshall went on, smile on his face. "Says here that he died... of dysentery. That's a real killer you know." Marshall shook his head and looked Andsworth in the face.

"He was shot through the throat, he bled to death and you know it!"

"I only know what the files say, Gerome." He took a drink of something that he placed on a table that must have been on his end. "You have to understand, I don't have any control of what my interrogators do behind closed doors."

Gerome didn't know if he could hate Marshall any more than he already did. He kept surprising himself.

"Now, we have to get to you." Marshall said shrugging. "I mean, you did destroy a UNSC vessel in Earth orbit. That alone will earn you a court martial and life imprisonment if not an execution should my signature find the paper. However, I might be able to... commute your sentence should you choose to cooperate with me."

"I'd rather be shot."

"Oh don't get me wrong." the hologram said. "Nothing will give me more pleasure than to put you up against a wall or have you dance at the end of a rope. But you're not done here yet. It could be months or years before you ever set foot in court."

"And what would you want from me?"

"Just information."

"On the whereabouts of the Captain?"

"Oh, I know where he's heading thank you very much. Your man's taking the Atlantic Airway to San Francisco. That ship he took from us has a unique ID tag associated with it. You know, originally we thought that it would be in New York, but then the ship kept on moving after being still for a while. I hate customs too." The President's hologram looked around, hoping to see a smile. Upon seeing the man, the Hunters smiled just to please Marshall.

"I know for a fact that the Captain himself was on the _Burro_. I want to know what was discussed."

"I caught him up. He wanted to know what he missed."

Marshall's smile broke. "More."

"No more. He left on his own."

That was a lie and Marshall knew it. Andsworth closed his eyes the instant it left his mouth. It had slipped out.

The Hunter whipped out a stun stick, wound it up, and swung it at Andsworth's leg. The baton smashed against him, making a _thwack_ noise. His foot jittered as current shot through his body. Andsworth held against the pain.

"Let's try that one more time, Admiral." Marshall said, his voice now serious. "Did you give Captain Vennettilli information or aid him in any way to help stage an attack on the President of the Unified Earth Government?"

"No."

Another lie. Marshall wondered if Andsworth was doing this on purpose or if he honestly thought he was telling the truth.

"A complete search of your vessel was carried out before you were brought to Antarctica." the wolf smile returned. "Nice to see that your exploratory vessel has a cache of weapons."

"In case of boarding." Andsworth explained.

"A few shotguns or pulse lasers perhaps, but assault rifles and grenade launchers? I hope you didn't charge the UNSC for your private arsenal, Gerome. Additionally, your gun racks show a couple of those weapons were absent. Arming a terrorist? Another charge to your list."

Another whack, this time to the other leg. It took another ten seconds to stop the leg jitters.

"You think you know everything!" Gerome finally lashed out which seemed to amuse Marshall. "You think you have all the bases covered and that nobody can touch you. You're cocky, Troy. That'll be your downfall."

That earned him a swipe to the head. The baton smashed off Gerome's skull and the electricity coursed through his head. He thought that he would have lost consciousness. Andsworth held on though much to the chagrin of the Hunters.

"You know," Marshall said, taking another drink of his liquor. "You're proving to be quite an irritating guest to entertain, Admiral."

"I'm only just getting started." the Navy man smiled. "You know you're stirring up opposition?"

Marshall looked amused. "You have been removed from politics. I'm one of the most respected presidents in the last three hundred years! I've built schools with my bare hands, spoke up for the little guy... hell, I raised minimum rage while keeping the price of living low! That was just within the last couple months!"

Fearless, Andsworth responded. "And yet you've tortured men, green-lit assassinations, bred these soldiers, falsified public records if not caused an outright fabrication condemning several men and women."

Marshall noted that Andsworth didn't add the one thing that could have been useable by him: 'presidential slaying'.

"I order these things every day, Gerome. If that's all you have..."

"Vanguard's ready to step up against you."

That seemed to hit home. Marshall actually had to do a double take and Andsworth could have sworn he looked a little nervous. However, his characteristic smile returned. "Stand up against me? Gerome, you've had one too many smacks to the head."

"What's the matter, Mr. President? Is it getting hot in your office?" Andsworth smirked. "The hologram doesn't convey temperature well; I could swear you're sweating." His gaze narrowed. "Why would you need to be worried about Vanguard Security? Even though they're one of the most influential private military corporations with fleets of their own ships, you're still Commander in Chief of the UNSC. They would need a good reason to stand against you."

Andsworth cooly danced around the issue intentionally. He began to put Marshall on the spot, and through this brilliant tactical maneuver, suddenly became the one conducting the interrogation.

"You want the Chaos Emeralds. Why? You want the power that are within them?"

"No." he said. "That data can help save Humanity!"

"Then why hide it? Why weed Mobius away from its rulers that have only worked with the UEG faithfully for five years? People that pose no military threat to us, and are in fact enriching our society, which is what the UEG Charter encouraged? Why, Troy? What aren't you telling us?"

"That's enough!" the President said, but it was clear that his influence in this conversation was slipping. Even the Hunters looked at one another anxiously.

"Does this have to do with the Black Hole, Troy?"

Before Marshall could say one more word, his red face suddenly turned to one side. "_What_?!" he roared. Andsworth barely heard a voice speaking. Tudyk's. Marshall's lackey.

"_Mr. President, I've just spoken to Admiral Donaghue at ONI Seattle_."

"Who? What does he want?" Marshall demanded.

"_He just wanted me to let you know that we've been able to reactive Agent Rouge's trackers. She'd managed to switch them off somehow_."

"Why is that important, Howard?"

"_Beacuse they're not in San Francisco at all! They're in New York!_"

Marshall froze again, this time looking absolutely furious with himself. He slammed back one more drink and then looked into space.

"Troy, what's wrong?" Andsworth asked. "I thought you knew everything!" He said this in a mocking tone. "Did you bring a ship out of orbit to pose over the bay? Maybe two? One next to the Golden Gate Bridge and a second just off of Alcatraz? Did you say they were doing some atmospheric exercises? What PR tale did you spin out of your ass? You may want to move them to New York." Andsworth smiled behind his mustache. He took pleasure in chipping off Marshall's composure. It was beautiful to behold the mighty in the process of falling."

Finally, the President looked at him. "I'll be back for another round, and this time I won't hesitate to bring out the Neural Tunnelers on you. I'll make sure the Captain, his girlfriend, the bat, hell, every single one of them will be down here and I will rip that Forerunner data from that little motherfucker's skull. I don't care if he lives or dies. I'm going to save this galaxy even if I add a few more bodies onto the pile!"

He waited for a gap, then Andsworth said, "I... don't know if you know a lot of Talahase, but I picked some of it up when I was stationed at the planet close to ten years ago. There's a phrase... "_In kempt, min kamf dis'furtunis_". Know what it means? 'In time, my struggle will benefit me'."

Marshall looked like he wanted to strangle Gerome there and then, but could not because of the hologram. Instead, his blisteringly mad face made eye contact for a few short seconds, then he said to the guards, laced with acid, "Go to town on him. Beat him raw, and lock him down in the deepest cells we have! Triple lock it and post a Spartan outside it 24/7! If he dies... well, won't that be a damn shame."

He started to deactivate the hologram and shouted, "_And someone get me the Captain of the _Bellarmine!_ I want that tub en route to New York NOW!_"

Finally the link closed, and the hologram of Marshall dispersed. As the communicator lay on the floor, the guards started to move in, Humblers sparking in their hands. Andsworth looked at them with a daring face and an ear-to-ear smile. He looked absolutely smitten with himself.


End file.
